A group of senators want to stop a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) plan to allow passengers to carry small knives on board airplanes.
Under the proposed change, the TSA would “allow knives that do not lock, and have blades that are 2.36 inches or 6 centimeters or less in length and are less than 1/2 inch in width, novelty-sized and toy bats, billiard cues, ski poles, hockey sticks, lacrosse sticks and two golf clubs as part of their carry-on baggage.”
“Allowing knives on airplanes would exacerbate security problems at airports and onboard flights, not reduce them,” U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., said in a statement. “One of the airplanes used during the September 11th attacks departed from Newark Liberty Airport, and small weapons were used by several of the attackers. The 9/11 attacks serve as a constant reminder of the dangers we face with airline travel, and this legislation would help us remain vigilant in protecting both passengers and flight crews.”
From the moment it was announced in March, the proposal has seen blowback from flight attendants. The proposal was to be implemented in April, but that was delayed in the wake of criticism.
“The TSA’s dangerous new policy will put passengers, flight attendants and pilots at risk and we must reverse it to make sure our airplanes are secure,” U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement. “Knives should continue to be kept off passenger planes and this legislation will make sure of that, once and for all.”
U.S. Sens. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and Kirsten E. Gillibrand, D-N.Y., also joined in sponsoring the legislation.