TSA Drops Policy Allowing Knives on Planes

The Transportation Security Administration on Wednesday dropped a new policy change that would have allowed knives on planes for the first time since the 9/11 hijackings.

The 90,000-strong Coalition of Flight Attendant Unions celebrated the success of its campaign to keep weapons off flights and commended the TSA.

"We promised 'No Knives on Planes Ever Again,' and today that promise was kept," the Flight Attendant Coalition announced. "Terrorists armed only with knives killed thousands of Americans on 9/11/2001. As the women and men on the front lines in the air, we vowed to do everything in our power to protect passengers and flight crews from harm and prevent that type of atrocity from happening ever again. We commend the TSA for revising its policy based on input from front line aviation workers with the greatest stake in the rule change. The result is better security policy and the assurance that our nation's aviation security system continues to be vigilant for knives that could be used in a terrorist attack or criminal act against passengers or crew."

After TSA announced the policy on March 5, the five unions in the coalition quickly mobilized, raising awareness about the dangers it posed for aviation security. The announcement sparked public outrage and a congressional hearing. Soon, Flight Attendants were joined by screeners, pilots, law enforcement officers and airline passengers in opposing the rule at airports across the country.

TSA Administrator John Pistole postponed the change just days before it was about to take effect on April 25. After hearing from more airline workers and travelers, who had also filed a legal challenge with TSA and Department of Homeland Security to ban knives from plan cabins, the agency reversed course.