»»Flight attendants protest against relaxing security restriction
Flight attendants protested at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, after Transportation Security Agency lifted the bans over the items allowed on planes.
After the relaxing of federal security restrictions, passengers are allowed to bring previously forbidden items - such as screwdrivers and pliers smaller than 6 inches and scissors with blades smaller than 4 inches, aboard planes
Flight attendants gathered signatures from passengers for a petition asking Congress to reinstate the bans. Similar protests are expected in many more airports accross the USA.
However TSA spokesman Chris White explained:
“…the bans were lifted so the agency could refocus attention on explosives, which the agency considers the current top threat to aviation…”
»»Temporary Flight Restriction for Super Bowl
The FAA has issued a temporary flight restriction for Super Bowl XL February 5 in Detroit.

The temporary flight restriction (TFR) will prohibit all general aviation flights within 10 nautical miles of Detroit’s Ford Field from 4 p.m. until midnight on February 5.
However Canada doesn’t agree with the restrictions, so the TFR stops at the Canadian border.
That means while Coleman A. Young Municipal Airport (DET) will be shut down , Windsor Airport (CYOG), which is even closer to the stadium, but located in Canada, will remain open.
»»Air Passengers may be allowed to avoid the lines
As the result of a survey released by Carlson Wagonlit Travel stresses lining up for airport security checks is the biggest irritant for business travelers, Transportation Security Administration is considering a program to allow frequent fliers to skip the pre-flight security checks.
…The program, called Registered Traveler, would give passengers the option of paying an $80 a year fee and submitting to a background check. If they pass, they would be issued a card that would allow them to walk past the lines of people taking off their shoes and being patted down with an electric wand…
(source)
Individual airports would decide whether or not to participate to the program, which is currently being tested in Los Angeles, Washington, Minneapolis, Boston, Houston and Orlando.


