WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey (D-NY) today applauded a critical air safety measure to require the certification of flight attendants, which was included in an aviation bill passed by the House of Representatives last night, while she criticized the Republican majority in Congress for backtracking on increased air security training standards.

“The federal government has a duty to set the bar high when it comes to security standards for our skies,” said Lowey. “Flight attendants found themselves on the front lines on September 11th and have proudly accepted the tasks that come with protecting passengers. I am proud that we won the fight to require flight attendant certification, but without increased security training, a dangerous air security gap remains.”

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not required certification for flight attendants – the first responders of our skies – even though mechanics and repair workers must be certified. Lowey, along with Congresswoman Sue Kelly (R-NY), introduced the bipartisan Flight Attendants Certification Act in April 2003. Supported by the Association of Flight Attendants, this bill would require FAA certification of flight attendants upon completion of required first aid, emergency landing, and hostile passenger training.

The Lowey provision was included in the FAA reauthorization bill conference report passed by the House last night. New flight attendants will be certified no later than 120 days after the FAA Administrator receives notification from air carriers of demonstrated proficiency. Current flight attendants must be certified by the FAA Administrator within 12 months.

“This is a good first step in upgrading the security training for our flight attendants, but it’s not enough,” said Lowey. “I am deeply disappointed that Republicans stripped one of the strongest measures in the bill to raise the bar for security training required by the Transportation Security Administration.”

Currently, the quality and content of security training for flight attendants differ markedly among airlines. The FAA reauthorization bills passed earlier this year by the House and Senate would have required the TSA to establish clear, consistent security training standards for all flight attendants, regardless of airline affiliation. The bipartisan agreement would have ensured that flight attendants received self-defense instruction as well as training to coordinate effectively with federal air marshals.

Unfortunately, this provision was stripped, at the insistence of Republican House leaders, from the final conference report. Because TSA is not required by law to upgrade guidelines for flight attendant security training programs, it is highly unlikely that airlines will provide the rigorous security training flight attendants need.

“Republican conferees fell prey to the airline industry instead of standing up for our flight attendants and airline passengers,” said Lowey. “There is simply no room for complacency in our homeland security plans. Now that we have established guidelines for certification, I hope we can continue improving security requirements in the future to close the gaps in our air security.”

As soon as the legislation is passed by the U.S Senate, it will be sent to the President for his signature and enacted into law.