The airline pilot now in the spotlight after he posted a cell phone video on the Internet criticizing airport security measures said today that his critics are "naïve" and ignoring a severe threat to the flying public.
In a press conference at the Sacramento International Airport, Chris Liu said he never posted the video to garner fame or notoriety for himself. Flanked by his family and his attorney, Don Werno, Liu said he instead hoped to prompt a national discussion.
"This was never about being famous for me. This was about aviation security," said Liu, a 50-year-old Colfax resident. "It's a security issue at the airport and I just wanted to address it."
Responding to critics who say his video could further expose the country to attack, Liu and Werno said the problem can't be addressed without first being brought to light.
"There is a major security problem and we need to fix it before a number of airlines are brought down in terrorist attacks," Werno said.
Late last month, Liu, a pilot for American Airlines, posted a cell phone video on YouTube depicting what he perceives as a major security flaw involving ground crews and their easy access to the tarmac and parked planes.
The video footage was shot at the San Francisco International Airport; however, Liu said the problem exists at other airports as well.
Liu argues that ground crews are not screened by metal detectors or TSA personnel the way travelers or even airline employees are. Instead, they only have to swipe a card to access the tarmac.
Read the complete story at sacbee.com
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