Charter airports lack security

An aerial view of a private airport says it all about the security there: private cars driving onto the tarmac, people boarding chartered and private planes -- and no security personnel in sight is probably what will catch your eye. Flabbergasting. Isn’t it?

What’s the use of spending time and millions of dollars securing major airports when there's no security at private airports? Look up in the sky and see all these jets and helicopters flying around and you wonder what's on those planes.

President Bush has recently signed into law a far-reaching commercial airport security bill calling for screening of all checked bags by explosive-detection machines, background checks for ground personnel and the hiring of thousands of air marshals to ride with passengers. But none of the regulations apply to non-commercial airports, such as Santa Monica or Van Nuys airports.

Charter and private plane operators are not required to screen passengers or check their baggage, and none of the 25 charter airplane services at Santa Monica or Van Nuys uses X-ray machines to check bags. At Santa Monica, neither staff members nor tenants are required to wear identification tags.

"Charter aviation is pretty lax because we think somebody would not get on our plane with a bomb or use (the plane) for malicious purposes," said Heather West, office manager of Van Nuys-based Sun Quest Executive Air Charter Inc. "We don't go rifling through people's baggage. Our customers don't want to go through what they go through at commercial airports. That's why they pay the big bucks to charter an aircraft."

To be sure, most fliers are well known by the companies that serve them. Client lists consist largely of high-level company executives and celebrities. But for new passengers, the airports have no set rules, leaving the responsibility of screenings and airplane security to the plane owners. Each company has its own policies pertaining to security.

XtraJet says it conducts background checks of new customers to ensure they are who they claim to be. The company also requires unfamiliar faces to produce identification and pilots are given discretion to search baggage or use a metal detecting wand. But searches are rarely conducted, conceded Mark Bethea, XtraJet's senior vice president.