TSA exempts pilots from pat-downs
WASHINGTON – After weeks of pressure from pilot unions over controversial new airport screening measures, the Transportation Security Administration has agreed to exempt pilots from enhanced pat-downs and full body scans, pilot organizations said Friday.
Pilots flying for U.S. carriers and traveling in uniform will immediately start going through "expedited" screening after having two forms of identification checked against a secure database, said TSA administrator John Pistole in a statement.
Airline pilots complained when the agency would not exempt them from pat-downs seen as too intrusive and full body scans that union leaders said would put pilots at risk for increased exposure to radiation.
"Allowing these uniformed pilots, whose identity has been verified, to go through expedited screening at the checkpoint just makes smart security and an efficient use of our resources," said Pistole Friday. The changes do not affect policies for screening passengers.