U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- An airline passenger organization used the anniversary 9/11 to push for new regulations that would ban ammunition in checked luggage.
FlyersRights.org, which claims to be the largest US airline passenger organization with 40,000 members called on Trump to close the “ammunition loophole.” The group claims that ammunition in checked bags could lead to more 9/11 style attacks in the future.
During flights, checked bags are not accessible to passengers on planes. The 9/11 terrorists used box cutters to take over the airplanes. The Al-Qaeda members used the aircraft to attack the World Trade Center Twin Towers, and the Pentagon. Passengers resisted the hijacking of a third plane that crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
“We are alarmed that the Trump Administration is hiding and failing to correct past inadequacies and compounding them by pursuing newly misguided policies,” said Paul Hudson, President of FlyersRights.org. “Ignoring and hiding a rulemaking petition filed by FlyersRights.org in 2017 to fix the ammunition loophole that allows and even encourages carrying of guns and ammunition with no added security in checked baggage.”
The advocacy group pointed to the shooting in January 2017 at the Fort Lauderdale airport in the baggage claim area of Terminal 2. Esteban Santiago-Ruiz, an ISIS influenced combat veteran, suffering from schizophrenia shot and killed five people and wounded six others. Santiago-Ruiz used a Walther PPS 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
FlyersRights.org falsely claims that Santiago-Ruiz used an automatic firearm in the attack and further took issue with the fact that the TSA didn’t ban firearms and ammunition together in bags the days after the rampage. They even claimed that the TSA was encouraging people to bring guns in their checked bags.
The group further calls on the Trump administration and the TSA to implement additional security measures for people flying with guns. At the same time, FlyersRights.org wants to end pat downs by TSA agents on transgendered flyers because such pat downs are instilling fear in these passengers.
The flyers group believes that by making the rules to flying with firearms publicly available, the TSA is encouraging future mass shootings. FlyersRights.org did not list how commercial airline passengers would find out the rules to flying with guns and ammunition if the TSA did not make the information public.
Currently, passengers flying with guns and ammunition have to check their firearms in a TSA approved lockable case. The flyer has to declare their guns at the airline counter with the airline representatives. Ammunition must also be in a locked case in the original box. The traveler must ensure the checked firearms are not loaded.
The agent will not mark the luggage carrying the firearms. This policy is to reduce the chance of a targeted theft by baggage handlers, or other people at the airport. FlyersRights.org would change this effective policy.
FlyersRights.org accused the TSA of “dangerous aviation security policies.” The group used examples of attacks in Europe, which are not under TSA control. At the same time, the group is calling for the end of policies that are not in use in Europe in other places around the world.
Paul Hudson formed FlyersRights.org in 2015 to fight for legroom on flights and fight airline policies that lead to flight delays. The group then morphed to battle against knives on flights.
AmmoLand reached out to FlyersRights.org for comment, but our request went unanswered.
About John Crump
John is a NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. He is the former CEO of Veritas Firearms, LLC and is the co-host of The Patriot News Podcast which can be found at www.blogtalkradio.com/patriotnews. John has written extensively on the patriot movement including 3%’ers, Oath Keepers, and Militias. In addition to the Patriot movement, John has written about firearms, interviewed people of all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons and is currently working on a book on leftist deplatforming methods and can be followed on Twitter at @crumpyss, on Facebook at realjohncrump, or at www.crumpy.com.