President Bush urged governors to call up National Guard units to protect U.S. airports while putting the federal government in charge of airport safety and pledging $500 million to upgrade security features on airplanes in a Thursday address at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.
'Some airports already meet high standards, and you all know that,' Bush said. 'But for those airports that need help, we will work with the governors to provide security measures'visible security measures'so the traveling public will know that we are serious about airline safety in America.'
As of Oct. 1, a $500 million fund will be established to finance aircraft modifications to delay or deny passengers' access to aircraft cockpits, the president said. These funds, provided through grants or cost-sharing arrangements, will allow airlines to restrict the opening of cockpit doors during flights, fortify cockpit doors to deny access to the cockpit from the cabin, alert the cockpit crew to activity in the cabin and ensure continuous operation of the aircraft transponder in the event of an emergency.
In addition, the president said he plans to work with Congress to put the federal government in charge of airport security and screening services.
Bush's plan also includes expanding the use of federal marshals aboard commercial airliners, as well as the placement of National Guardsmen at airport inspection stations.
'With all these actions, we're returning America's airlines back to the American people,' Bush said. 'We're making a strong statement that together the government and the private sector will make flying a way of life again in America.'
To illustrate the administration's confidence in the safety of air travel, U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta flew to Chicago aboard a commercial flight along with Jane Garvey, head of the Federal Aviation Administration.
In response to Bush's request to place National Guardsmen in airports, Wisconsin Gov. Scott McCallum called on uniformed guard personnel from Wisconsin's 32nd Military Police Company to staff airport security checkpoints in Madison, Milwaukee and Green Bay. Nine troops were immediately dispatched to the three airports and more may follow in coming days, Wisconsin National Guard Adjutant Gen. James Blaney said in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report.
Rod McLean, deputy director of Dane County Regional Airport, said he expected troops to arrive at the Madison terminal some time Thursday evening. These officers will not replace current security workers but instead will oversee security checkpoints while augmenting the normal patrol work of Dane County Sheriff's deputies, McLean said.
McLean added that he believes the presence of the troops will not create much of a change of the atmosphere for travelers at the airport.
'There'll be a whole learning process and an education process [for the troops],' McLean said. 'It won't be too terribly different.'
While the National Guard troops will be stationed in airports across the nation, the onus of Bush's other proposals fall onto airlines more than airports, according to Tom Winfrey, a public relations representative for Los Angeles International Airport.
'The airport is, more in a sense, an arena for the airlines to operate,' Winfrey said.
However, Whitney Brewer, a spokesperson for Southwest Airlines, said it is the airline's position that complying with Bush's regulations will require equal participation from airlines and airports.
'I think it will be something that will take a little while to put into place,' she said.
In other news, the FBI released Thursday names, aliases and photographs of the 19 men believed to be the hijackers of the four transcontinental airline flights that were crashed into the World Trade Center, Pentagon and a field in western Pennsylvania.
The FBI also listed possible countries of origin, recent U.S. places of residence and ages of some of the hijackers.
Photos of the hijackers are available at
