Schumer: Stricter security measures needed on airliners

The federal government should reinstitute a requirement that airlines check passengers' identification along with their boarding passes at the gate just before they get on planes, Sen. Charles Schumer said Sunday.

Schumer (D-N.Y.) also called on the Transportation Security Administration to compel air carriers to print encryptable bar codes on their boarding passes.

Schumer said it is easy for "would-be terrorists" to forge a driver's license and boarding pass and gain access to domestic flights.

"If you checked the ID and your boarding pass together, you could always check someone who is forging a boarding pass," Schumer said. "If they did this smart, they would not inconvenience travelers."

The federal government mandated the gate ID check after the Sept. 11 attacks, but rescinded the order in less than a year, after the airlines complained that the gate checks took too much time. Most European airports still check ID at the boarding gate.

A TSA spokesman did not immediately return phone calls Sunday.

"If they'd use the right technology and the right machinery, you can be both safe and quick," Schumer said.