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49 U.S.C. § 44918

Section 44918 · Crew training

Version as of December 12, 2003, with additions and removals from the November 25, 2002 version.

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As of December 12, 2003
As of November 25, 2002

(a) Basic Security Training.—

(a) In General.—Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, in consultation with the Under Secretary of Transportation for Security, appropriate law enforcement, security, and terrorism experts, representatives of air carriers and labor organizations representing individuals employed in commercial aviation, shall develop detailed guidance for a scheduled passenger air carrier flight and cabin crew training program to prepare crew members for potential threat conditions.
(1) In general.—Each air carrier providing scheduled passenger air transportation shall carry out a training program for flight and cabin crew members to prepare the crew members for potential threat conditions.
(b) Program Elements.—The guidance shall require such a program to include, at a minimum, elements that address the following:
(2) Program elements.—An air carrier training program under this subsection shall include, at a minimum, elements that address each of the following:
(1) Determination of the seriousness of any occurrence.
(A) Recognizing suspicious activities and determining the seriousness of any occurrence.
(2) Crew communication and coordination.
(B) Crew communication and coordination.

(C) The proper commands to give passengers and attackers.

(3) Appropriate responses to defend oneself.
(D) Appropriate responses to defend oneself.
(4) Use of protective devices assigned to crew members (to the extent such devices are required by the Administrator or Under Secretary).
(E) Use of protective devices assigned to crew members (to the extent such devices are required by the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration or the Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security of the Department of Homeland Security).
(5) Psychology of terrorists to cope with hijacker behavior and passenger responses.
(F) Psychology of terrorists to cope with hijacker behavior and passenger responses.
(6) Live situational training exercises regarding various threat conditions.
(G) Situational training exercises regarding various threat conditions.
(7) Flight deck procedures or aircraft maneuvers to defend the aircraft.
(H) Flight deck procedures or aircraft maneuvers to defend the aircraft and cabin crew responses to such procedures and maneuvers.

(I) The proper conduct of a cabin search, including explosive device recognition.

(8) Any other subject matter deemed appropriate by the Administrator.
(J) Any other subject matter considered appropriate by the Under Secretary.

(c) Air Carrier Programs.—Within 60 days after the Administrator issues the guidance under subsection (a) in final form, each air carrier shall develop a flight and cabin crew training program in accordance with that guidance and submit it to the Administrator for approval. Within 30 days after receiving an air carrier's program under this subsection, the Administrator shall review the program and approve it or require the air carrier to make any revisions deemed necessary by the Administrator for the program to meet the guidance requirements.

(d) Training.—Within 180 days after the Administrator approves the training program developed by an air carrier under this section, the air carrier shall complete the training of all flight and cabin crews in accordance with that program.

(e) Updates.—

(3) Approval.—An air carrier training program under this subsection shall be subject to approval by the Under Secretary.

(4) Minimum standards.—Not later than one year after the date of enactment of the Vision 100—Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act, the Under Secretary may establish minimum standards for the training provided under this subsection and for recurrent training.

(5) Existing programs.—Notwithstanding paragraphs (3) and (4), any training program of an air carrier to prepare flight and cabin crew members for potential threat conditions that was approved by the Administrator or the Under Secretary before the date of enactment of the Vision 100—Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act may continue in effect until disapproved or ordered modified by the Under Secretary.

(6) Monitoring.—The Under Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator, shall monitor air carrier training programs under this subsection and periodically shall review an air carrier's training program to ensure that the program is adequately preparing crew members for potential threat conditions. In determining when an air carrier's training program should be reviewed under this paragraph, the Under Secretary shall consider complaints from crew members. The Under Secretary shall ensure that employees responsible for monitoring the training programs have the necessary resources and knowledge.

(1) In general.—The Under Secretary shall update the training guidance issued under subsection (a) from time to time to reflect new or different security threats and require air carriers to revise their programs accordingly and provide additional training to their flight and cabin crews.
(7) Updates.—The Under Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator, shall order air carriers to modify training programs under this subsection to reflect new or different security threats.

(2) Additional requirements.—In updating the training guidance, the Under Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator, shall issue a rule to—

(b) Advanced Self-Defense Training.—

(1) In general.—Not later than one year after the date of enactment of the Vision 100—Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act, the Under Secretary shall develop and provide a voluntary training program for flight and cabin crew members of air carriers providing scheduled passenger air transportation.

(A) require both classroom and effective hands-on situational training in the following elements of self defense:
(2) Program elements.—The training program under this subsection shall include both classroom and effective hands-on training in the following elements of self-defense:

(i) recognizing suspicious activities and determining the seriousness of an occurrence;

(ii) deterring a passenger who might present a problem;
(A) Deterring a passenger who might present a threat.

(iii) crew communication and coordination;

(iv) the proper commands to give to passengers and attackers;

(B) Advanced control, striking, and restraint techniques.

(C) Training to defend oneself against edged or contact weapons.

(v) methods to subdue and restrain an attacker;
(D) Methods to subdue and restrain an attacker.
(vi) use of available items aboard the aircraft for self-defense;
(E) Use of available items aboard the aircraft for self-defense.
(vii) appropriate and effective responses to defend oneself, including the use of force against an attacker;
(F) Appropriate and effective responses to defend oneself, including the use of force against an attacker.

(viii) use of protective devices assigned to crew members (to the extent such devices are approved by the Administrator or Under Secretary);

(ix) the psychology of terrorists to cope with their behavior and passenger responses to that behavior; and

(x) how to respond to aircraft maneuvers that may be authorized to defend against an act of criminal violence or air piracy;

(B) require training in the proper conduct of a cabin search, including the duty time required to conduct the search;

(C) establish the required number of hours of training and the qualifications for the training instructors;

(D) establish the intervals, number of hours, and elements of recurrent training;

(E) ensure that air carriers provide the initial training required by this paragraph within 24 months of the date of enactment of this subparagraph; and

(F) ensure that no person is required to participate in any hands-on training activity that that person believes will have an adverse impact on his or her health or safety.

(G) Any other element of training that the Under Secretary considers appropriate.

(3) Participation not required.—A crew member shall not be required to participate in the training program under this subsection.

(4) Compensation.—Neither the Federal Government nor an air carrier shall be required to compensate a crew member for participating in the training program under this subsection.

(5) Fees.—A crew member shall not be required to pay a fee for the training program under this subsection.

(3) Responsibility of under secretary.—(A) Consultation.—In developing the rule under paragraph (2), the Under Secretary shall consult with law enforcement personnel and security experts who have expertise in self-defense training, terrorism experts, and representatives of air carriers, the provider of self-defense training for Federal air marshals, flight attendants, labor organizations representing flight attendants, and educational institutions offering law enforcement training programs.
(6) Consultation.—In developing the training program under this subsection, the Under Secretary shall consult with law enforcement personnel and security experts who have expertise in self-defense training, terrorism experts, representatives of air carriers, the director of self-defense training in the Federal Air Marshals Service, flight attendants, labor organizations representing flight attendants, and educational institutions offering law enforcement training programs.
(B) Designation of official.—The Under Secretary shall designate an official in the Transportation Security Administration to be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the training program under this subsection.
(7) Designation of tsa official.—The Under Secretary shall designate an official in the Transportation Security Administration to be responsible for implementing the training program under this subsection. The official shall consult with air carriers and labor organizations representing crew members before implementing the program to ensure that it is appropriate for situations that may arise on board an aircraft during a flight.

(C) Necessary resources and knowledge.—The Under Secretary shall ensure that employees of the Administration responsible for monitoring the training program have the necessary resources and knowledge.

(c) Limitation.—Actions by crew members under this section shall be subject to the provisions of section 44903(k).

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