News

Flight attendants union calls for kiosk ban

March 12, 2002

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The president of the Association of Flight Attendants, AFL-CIO, (AFA) has called for the banning of airline self-service kiosk systems in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.

Patricia Friend, AFA international president, called for the ban as part of a broad series of security initiatives. The union, whose membership includes more than 50,000 flight attendants at 26 airlines, said the changes were needed because the Federal Aviation Administration's new safety guidelines were not tough enough.

"The FAA's new safety and security procedures fail to address the most serious breakdowns in aircraft cabin security that appear to gave led to this tragedy," Friend said in a news release, referring to the hijacked planes that were used to attack the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. "To prevent future attacks, flight attendant training and certification procedures must be significantly updated and enhanced, security screening procedures must be federalized, and carry-on baggage limits must be imposed."

The AFA calls for the ban of all remote check-in locations, including the elimination of self-service kiosk systems. The kiosks allow passengers to receive boarding passes, check in luggage, and access flight information. The AFA expressed concern that such systems allow passengers to check in without being identified by airline personnel. The AFA has requested that all passengers report to staffed check-in counters and present identification to airline staff.

Most major carriers decided to reinstate their self-service kiosk systems when the suspension of air travel was lifted starting Sept. 13. Delta Air Lines and Air Canada suspended their programs because of security concerns.

Other changes called for by the AFA included updated training procedures and new minimum standards for flight attendants, stricter limits on carry-on luggage, federalization of airport security screening, and the retrofitting of cockpit doors.