IND, STL Added to Known Crewmember As Indianapolis and St. Louis became
the 19th and 20th U.S. airports to embrace the Known Crewmember program
yesterday, the impact of the enhanced security system is beginning to take hold,
according to pilots who went through the new checkpoints.
Individual pilots are looking forward to seeing their “home” airports open
KCM lanes, and pilot groups without KCM access are increasingly expecting their
managements to include them.
“I’ve been waiting for this airport to get it for a while,” said one Delta
captain who lives in Indianapolis but is based in MSP. “This is great.”
“This is our last day of a four-day trip and we’ve had KCM at every airport
we’ve been to,” said a grateful United captain.
Several pilots at STL were relieved to see a KCM
checkpoint added to Concourse A at Terminal 1. They said the passenger security
line there had been especially difficult to get through and the new KCM access
point would make a big difference there. KCM checkpoints were also added at STL
in Concourse C at Terminal 1 and Concourse E at Terminal 2.
ALPA members from Air Wisconsin, Delta, FedEx Express, Trans States, and
United Continental who went through checkpoints at IND and STL were greeted by
Air Wisconsin MEC chairman Capt. Richard Swindell, and Trans States Airlines MEC
vice chairman Capt. Cliff Simmons, respectively, along with ALPA staff members
from Engineering & Air Safety and Communications.
More than 30 airlines are participating in KCM, with more in the process of
joining. For information on participating airlines, visit
www.knowncrewmember.org
or access the ALPA smartphone app for iPhones and Androids.
Transportation Security officers at IND said KCM makes their job easier by
giving them more time to screen higher-risk individuals going through security,
instead of having to focus on flightcrew members who have already had to undergo
numerous background checks to get their jobs.
“The passengers already trust them, so why shouldn’t we?” said one TSO.
“After all, they control the airplane.”
The KCM program will continue to add more airports through the end of the
year. New airports in the KCM pipeline include CLT, DFW, FLL, ATL, HNL, IAH,
JFK, DCA, and SFO. |