Airport Security Officials Investigate Problematic Pat-Downs

U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Friday asked Transportation Security Administration chief John Magaw and Federal Aviation Administration administrator Jane Garvey to clarify airport security clearance and pat-down procedures.

McCain said there have been "numerous complaints" of improper actions by security personnel during pat-down searches at airport security checkpoints. "Specifically," he said, "there have been allegations by female flight attendants and female passengers of improper contact by male security guards." He requested the federal officials to consider "how to best ensure proper training and explicit, uniform security procedures or guidelines for pat-downs that will allow the same, high level of security for everyone, while at the same time taking into account the unique concerns of opposite-sex searches."

Patricia Friend, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants, which represents about 50,000 flight attendants at 27 airlines, in a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation secretary Norman Mineta wrote, "We are deeply concerned that screening is unevenly administered with flight attendants singled out for aggressive treatment in some cases." In a response, Mineta said DOT is continuing to work with the airlines on this matter and said the current structure encourages passengers or airline employees to contact the security screener's supervisor or the air carrier's ground security coordinator at the airport if they feel they are treated improperly.

Policy allows female travelers to request that a female security screener conduct the pat-down. DOT's Aviation Consumer Protection Division is handling the complaints, which currently stand at a few dozen: FAA reported 18 complaints filed with the agency, while the Arizona Attorney General reportedly has received 35 complaints from passengers and flight attendants involving passengers on America West Airlines, Alaska Airlines and United Airlines.