WASHINGTON, D. C. (BNO NEWS) – U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Tuesday highlighted the Department’s efforts to bolster aviation security and thanked the nation’s airline pilots at the Air Line Pilots Association International Awards Dinner.

Secretary Napolitano underscored the Department’s ongoing efforts to develop and implement stronger international aviation security measures, which include her participation over the past year in a number of regional security summits around the world. She highlighted the two major milestones achieved recently by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA): implementation of Secure Flight, under which TSA assumes responsibility from air carriers for checking passenger manifests against government watch lists for all domestic and international flights operated by U.S. carriers, and 100 percent screening of air cargo that travels domestically or departs from the U.S.

“As the crew of Flight 253 demonstrated during the attempted attack on Christmas Day, airline pilots and all crew members are a critical part of our layered approach to aviation security,” Secretary Napolitano said. “Over the past eight months, DHS has been leading a global initiative, in close collaboration with our international and industry partners, including America’s airline pilots, to strengthen the international aviation system against the evolving threats posed by terrorists.”

She concluded, stressing the need for the Department’s deployment of state-of-the-art technology such as Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT), which safely screens passengers for metallic and non-metallic threats. Over 180 machines are currently in use at 45 airports throughout the nation.

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