The TSA will start to allow some knives on planes next month
Starting next month, Iowans who fly on commercial jets will be able to walk on-board carrying small pocketknives and many other previously-banned items, as some post 9-11 rules are being relaxed.
Chad Wolf, a former TSA administrator, says he completely agrees with the move.
Wolf says, “Right now, TSA confiscates thousands of these small knives every year and what that does is, that takes screeners’ time and attention away from real threats on the aircraft, real threats to the aircraft, and instead is having them deal with these small items that no longer pose that threat.”
The new policy goes into effect April 25th. It will allow folding knives with blades up to about two-and-a-half inches in length and less than half-an-inch wide.
Wolf says TSA agents are being retrained now. “Initially, we’ll see some mistakes made but TSA will get this right,” Wolf says. “They had the same training issues when they instituted the liquids ban of not allowing certain liquids on.
TSA knows how to do this. It’s just a matter of how quickly they can get all the screeners up to speed.” Besides knives, other items that will soon be allowed include novelty-sized baseball bats, billiard cues, ski poles, hockey sticks, lacrosse sticks and two golf clubs.
“They should be able to fit in the overhead bin,” Wolf says. “Certain airlines may still prohibit what you can and can’t take on their aircraft, but from a security standpoint, TSA is saying these items are no longer a threat to the aircraft and they are allowed on.”
Things like box cutters and razor blades are still forbidden. Pilots and flight attendants by the thousands are protesting the pending rule change, fearing safety could be jeopardized.