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Steve Elson spent five days with the fifth estate looking at Canada's airports.
In the early 1990s, Elson was a leader of the FAA Red Team. During this time he conducted covert assessments of airports in the United States and around the world. He also helped perform mock aircraft hijackings.
In the late 1990s, Elson was an FAA Security Field Agent. He spent his time in airports, working with the airlines, screening checkpoint personnel and airport agents.
Elson says he wrote a number of reports and emails to FAA headquarters and government officials, warning of the weaknesses in airport security and recommending improvements. He says he quit his job in 1999 when he realized the government was not listening to his warnings or making the necessary improvements.
Since quitting the FAA, Elson has continued this work in other ways; for example, in 2003 he developed test protocols for the US Capitol Police to enhance security procedures in the Congressional office buildings and the US Capitol building.
Elson has helped various organizations study and report on airport security. He has appeared on television programs such as CBS Nightly News, CNN and NBC Dateline to assist reporters with airport assessments. He does not charge a fee for his services.
The fifth estate asked Elson to visit Canada and conduct a security assessment of Canada's airports in preparation for its report Fasten Your Seatbelts.
READ MORE OF HIS INTERVIEW WITH THE FIFTH ESTATE'S HANA GARTNER
Senator Colin Kenny is a vocal critic of airport security in Canada.
Senator Kenny joined the senate on June
29th, 1984 on Pierre Elliott Trudeau's recommendation. Since
that time, he has been actively involved in issues related to national
defence. Senator Kenny has travelled the country as chair of the Standing
Senate Committee of National Security and Defence. He has toured
airports and talked with people in the aviation industry to examine
airport security.
Senator Kenny and his committee members tabled their interim report:
"The
Myth of Security at Canada's Airports" 
in January
2003.
This report points out inadequacies in the management of airport
security in Canada. It also criticizes the federal government for
secrecy in spending.
Senator Kenny is also a member of the following Senate committees:
Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources
Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration
Subcommittee Veterans Affairs
READ MORE OF HIS INTERVIEW WITH
THE FIFTH ESTATE'S HANA GARTNER
Mark Duncan, head of CATSA says the agency has lived up to its mandate.
Mr. Duncan says CATSA has lived up to its mandate to improve screening
at 89 of Canada's major airports.
READ MORE OF HIS INTERVIEW WITH
THE FIFTH ESTATE'S HANA GARTNER