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Want to crack open a bottle of Merlot cruising at 36,000 feet? How about doing a little whittling or opening up some boxes while flying over the Great Lakes?

These activities could be fair game under a recent Transportation Security Authority proposal that would once again allow passengers to carry small knives, corkscrews and nail clippers onboard commercial flights. But airline employees in Queens are calling for the idea to be grounded before it takes off.

Several union leaders gathered with U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) inside LaGuardia Airport Monday to condemn any weakening of restrictions on the possession of sharp objects on airplanes.

Permitting such items would make it easier for terrorists to hijack an airplane and commit another kamikaze attack, officials said, noting that the Sept. 11 terrorists were able to commandeer several planes with only pocketsize box cutters.

“Association of Flight Attendants believes these proposals are completely insane and reckless,” said Diane Tamuk, local council president of the union. “Not only will they shake the confidence of flying public, but they put every flight attendant at risk when they go to work.”

TSA chief Kip Hawley announced potential changes to the list of prohibited items at a congressional hearing last Thursday while discussing measures to reduce wait times at airport security checkpoints. The TSA is also considering creating a registry of frequent travelers that would allow some passengers to forgo regular security checks altogether.

By easing the burden of seeking out household sharp objects, airport screeners could focus on preventing explosives and other deadly weapons from getting on planes, Hawley has said publicly. With the installation of stronger cockpit doors, pilots are protected from assaults with smaller weapons, officials said.

Crowley said the risk still would be too great for airplane passengers and staff, however. He suggested other means to quicken the pace at security checkpoints, such as more strictly enforcing regulations on the size of carry-on baggage.

“Americans should not have to give up their security so that airport lines can be a little faster,” Crowley said. “We all want to have shorter waits at the airport, but there are more efficient ways we can increase efficiency without compromising security.”

The complete updated list has not yet been made available, but officials have made it clear that scissors and sharp knives would likely be included. While no official date has been set to implement the changes, Crowley said he expects them to take place before the start of the Christmas season.

Under the current proposal, passengers could bring ice picks, throwing stars and a bow and arrows onto a plane, Tamuk said. Airline companies have also neglected congressional mandates to provide flight attendants with security and self-defense training.

Federal cutbacks have already lowered the amount of security personnel at local airports, which in turn has brought down employee morale, said Mel Johnson, president of the Metropolitan Airport Workers union.

“When we first started, we had six people per lane,”
Johnson said. “Now we are running some lanes with three and four men that have to do multiple tasks to achieve the same goals that we were doing with six and seven men.”

After Sept. 11, government officials pushed for a crackdown on potentially dangerous items on airplanes, at times drawing criticism for being overly protective. Now some claim the political environment has calmed enough to ease those restrictions.

Crowley does not agree. “We are in the middle of a war, there have been terrorist attacks in London, Spain and India in recent months, and the United States has decided to loosen security at airports,” he said. “What kind of message are we sending to the international community?”