There is a new effort to keep TSA restrictions the way they are.
That’s because starting April 25th, the Transportation Security Administration will allow knives 2.36 inches and smaller on board aircraft. It will also allow golf clubs, ski poles along with other restricted items.
The TSA says it’s to help screeners focus on more serious threats like explosive devices.
Still, the Flight Attendants Union Coalition, representing more than 90,000 workers, is urging the TSA to keep restrictions the way they are. It is behind a petition making the rounds online. Click on this sentence to see the petition.
Marcus Gluth is Vice President of Association of Professional Flight Attendants, representing American Airlines flight attendants.
“This is a chance for air travelers to let the government know exactly how you feel,” said Gluth.
Gluth says if the TSA was looking to loosen restrictions, it should look at other banned items.
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“Let’s look at things like shampoo, sodas, water. That's where you start. You don't start with weapons,” he said.
At DFW International Airport, passengers we spoke with agreed.
“We saw what could happen, we saw the extreme, and I think if we were to relax any, any of it, we're just allowing for anything like that to happen again,” said Patty Calderon, before boarding a flight to Mexico City.
Calderon is referring to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. In fact, small knives haven’t been allowed on board since those attacks.
Experts believe this would put the United States airline industry in line with what’s done overseas, where the small blades are allowed.
NBC DFW has learned from sources that there may be a meeting later this week with airline execs and flight attendants in Washington, D.C., to discuss the loosening of restrictions with the TSA.
