Flying out of Philadelphia

[SharonS]

Has anyone flown out of Philadelphia since the tragedy? I'm wondering about their security since I am scheduled to fly out of there on October 13th. Any info would be appreciated.

 

[SharonS]

Bump

 

[Beverly Lynn]

if its anything like pittsburgh, give yourself extra time if you are traveling around peak times when there are a lot of businessmen.

 

[tci1212]

I just heard on Fox news that a man was able to sneak 4 box cutters on the plane,he purposely did this to prove a point to his wife that security is lax and she shouldn't fly to Ireland. When he reported this to the Phila airport he was arrested and he is now in jail. He was arrested as soon as he let them know what he had done.

 

[Kim&Chris]

I've flown out of Philly many times and hate it. Each and every time we've gone thru Philly security, they BARELY look at the x-ray screen. Let alone inspect luggage. Most times, the x-ray people are too busy talking and laughing with each other too pay attention.

They're pretty scary. I also just heard about the man with the box cutters. Isn't it strange that HE'S the one in jail?? How about the x-ray people that allowed him to stroll through????

HHMMMMMMMMM...................

 

[frost5000]

We leave in two days from philly. I just calmed down about things, and now.... I hope everyone's getting with the program now!! I guess there's no more sleep for me. I'll let you know how they're doing when I get back. IMHO, the guy who brought the cutters through should be in jail, along with the people who allowed him through - they are all knuckleheads! I hope there's better people working on Thursday.

 

[SharonS]

I'm actually flying out of Harrisburg, and through Philly to Orlando. I am supposed to meet my cousin in Philly and fly down together. I don't know if I'm really comfortable with Philly. I think I would feel better flying though Charlotte or somewhere else.

If anyone has any additional info on security at Philly, please post. I want to at least fly through an airport that seems to be trying! I heard about the man getting the box cutters through, but didn't know it was in Philly.

 

[JandD Mom]

Tuesday, September 25, 2001

Authorities: Man took box cutters onto Phila. flight

By Barbara Boyer
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

Federal authorities have charged a Malvern man with carrying box cutters - the same type used to hijack airplanes in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks - past security at Philadelphia International Airport yesterday and onto a Northwest Airlines flight.

Dennis Knaus, 59, told authorities he took the box cutters to the airport to convince his wife that it was not safe to fly and that she should cancel a trip to Ireland, according to an FBI affidavit on the case.

After getting the box cutters past metal detectors at Terminal E about 11 a.m., Knaus called his wife and then the Federal Aviation Administration to tell officials what he had done, the affidavit said.

Following instructions from an FAA official, Knaus asked to speak with a Northwest supervisor but was told one was not available. The affidavit says that Knaus then again passed through the security checkpoint and boarded Flight 687 bound for Minneapolis. He remained on board until he was taken off by Philadelphia police.

Knaus, who was in federal custody last night, was charged with illegally carrying a weapon past the security checkpoint and is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court this morning.

Philadelphia police said they learned of the incident at 11:45 a.m., when Rosemary Sollmer, 45, a manager at Northwest Airlines, called Philadelphia police to report federal aviation officials had contacted the airline after receiving the call from Knaus.

Knaus, after confirming he had the knives in his briefcase, was taken to Police Headquarters and turned over to FBI agents.

Authorities said they confiscated four box cutters and three single-edge razor paint scrapers from the briefcase. Knaus has no criminal history, authorities said.

Airport officials released a statement yesterday afternoon saying anyone violating FAA regulations "will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law."

Mark Pesce, an airport spokesman, said that investigators were very concerned about the incident and that security and procedures would be evaluated.

"I really can't go into it any further than that since it is a federal matter," Pesce said.

Before the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, it was legal to carry box cutters onto a flight. After the hijackers downed four domestic flights, the FAA issued directives prohibiting, among other things, cutting instruments of any kind past security checkpoints.

According to the affidavit, Knaus told authorities that four days after the hijackings, Sept. 15, he inadvertently carried four box cutters onto a flight from Duluth, Minn., to Minneapolis to Philadelphia. On Sept. 17, he wrote the FAA complaining about the breach of security, the affidavit said.

Knaus at first told authorities he did not realize he had the box cutters until he opened his briefcase at the airport yesterday, but he later admitted he knew he had the tools when he looked in his briefcase Sunday night.

According the statement released by airport officials, anyone "purposely concealing any of the items prohibited by the FAA will be dealt with seriously by the airlines, the airport, the police and the FAA."

A woman who answered the door last night at Knaus' two-story home in leafy Malvern said she would not comment.

"I have not spoken to my husband," she added.

 

[Kim&Chris]

Any word on whether or not Philly Int'l Airport fired the security people who allowed this guy to get through?

 

[JandD Mom]

Kim & Chris,,
I heard a report on the local morning news that the airport spokesperson said PHL has already reviewed and revamped security once, and obviously it will need to do so again. No word on what, if anything, they actually did.

 

[Beverly Lynn]

I hope he does get punished to the full extent of the law. he deserves it for what he did. I guess all that matters to him is how he proved his point huh? I agree that they need to do something about the people working security now. its a shame that people will go to these lengths to prove something. but then again they should be doing their jobs too.

 

[ducklite]

Doesn't suprise me--the last time I went through security at PHL the person operating the x-ray equipment was talking to the other person there about needing new glasses. I kid you not.

I'm going to keep flying. I've been thinking long and hard about what items that are on planes would make good weapons against a person or group of persons needing to be subdued. I've actually come up with a fairly lengthy list, from starting a fire in the toilet to using a Bic pen to the HALON fire extinguishers, to the corkscrews in the forward galley, to other things I don't even want to mention. As a last resort, I'm usually by the emergency exit, and sudden decompression sounds better than killing a bunch of innocents on the ground.

In the immortal words of Harrison Ford "Get off my plane."

Anne

 

[Kim&Chris]

I've always been nervous about those security people in PHL. I've often thought that, due to their lack of training, anyone could do anything. It always made me really nervous.

Hopefully, they will terminate the idiot who let Mr. Knaus through with the box cutters.

 

[pixiechick]

We flew out of PHL on Sat. 9/15. The lines at the ticket counter were very long. Security was not impressive. They did seem to have more people working, with a little less conversation going on. They "wanded" me, but not my husband or son. All ids were checked, but the two people working were skipping all over the place and could have easily missed someone. I did hear one person checking carryon yell back " I hope nobody else in this line has scissors." So I assume someone had a pocket knife or something of the sort.