Senators push for air safety

Bob Shemeligian

Tuesday, Aug. 6, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Nevada's senators are calling for increased airport security and improvements in notification procedures in case of airline accidents.

Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., said Monday he will call for increased airport security and improved anti-terrorism measures through his memberships on the Senate Aviation Subcommitee and the Intelligence Committee.

Meanwhile, Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., on Friday introduced a "travelers rights" bill to provide the nation's air travelers with information on safety and to speed up and improve notification procedures following accidents.

In recent weeks, Bryan has participated in several hearings and briefings on security issues.

"The recent TWA tragedy and the bombing in Atlanta are the starkest reminders that we need to do far more in the area of security and anti-terrorism efforts," Bryan said.

Investigators suspect that a bomb planted by terrorists downed TWA Flight 800 on July 17. The jetliner exploded and crashed off Long Island, N.Y., killing 230 passengers.

Bryan said several improvements need to be made in the field of airport security, including:

* Improved baggage-scanning devices.

* Tighter baggage-handling procedures.

* Industrywide standards for cargo and passenger manifests so that every airline uses the same form to document who and what is on the plane.

* Strengthened background check procedures for all airport personnel who have any contact with the airplane or items entering the airplane.

"When it comes to airport security, we lag far behind other developed countries," Bryan said. "While the impression is that advanced technology is not available to significantly increase security, the reality is that we are not even employing the best technologies that are available today."

Reid's travelers rights bill would set up an Air Traveler Safety Program and a Victims Rights Program.

The Air Traveler Safety Program would require all air carriers to provide passengers, upon request, with any information about the safety of the aircraft or the competency of the people who work on it. Interested passengers also would be entitled to review Federal Aviation Administration safety inspection reports of each carriers' fleet of planes and the fleet's overall safety ranking.

"With the recent spate of accidents and potential terrorist incidents, even seasoned travelers like myself are feeling vulnerable in the air," Reid said.

Under Reid's bill, the Transportation secretary would be required to submit to Congress an annual performance review of all air carriers. The report would list and describe all accidents for each air carrier and the names of airline manufacturers involved.

"This annual report will put the American people on notice as to what has been happening in the skies," Reid said.

The Victims Rights Program would direct the National Transportation Safety Board to establish a toll-free number that families and survivors could call any time a plane crashes in the United States, Reid said.