The Transportation Security Administration will allow airline passengers to carry small scissors and tools onto flights, a Homeland Security Department official said.
TSA Director Edmund “Kip” Hawley will announce the changes in a speech Friday in Washington.
The new policy allows passengers to carry scissors less than 4 inches long and tools under 7 inches long, said the official, who requested anonymity. Hawley also plans to discuss changes to streamline the screening process, the official said.
The U.S. government banned passengers from carrying sharp objects on planes after the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers commandeered planes using box cutters and knives. The Homeland Security official said that since the ban took effect, cockpit doors have been fortified, pilots can carry guns and the TSA has a better idea of the types of objects that present a threat.
Corey Caldwell, a spokeswoman for the Association of Flight Attendants, a Washington-based union representing more than 46,000 airline employees, said the changes would confuse travelers, adding to lines at airports, and put crews and passengers at risk.
