For the first time since 9/11 attacks passengers will be allowed to carry knives with small blades
Travellers will soon be allowed to carry small pocket knives on board US planes for the first time since the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, the US Transportation Security Administration has announced.
From 25 April, knives with blades that are 2.36 inches (6cm) or less in length and less than 1/2 inch (1.25cm) wide will be allowed, the TSA said. Other items that will be allowed on board again as part of a passenger's carry-on luggage include billiard cues, ski poles, hockey sticks and lacrosse sticks.
Items that had been prohibited, such as razors, box-cutters or knives with a fixed blade are still not allowed on board.
TSA spokesman David Castelveter said the decision was made to bring US regulations more in line with International Civil Aviation Organisation standards and would also help provide a better experience for travellers.
"This is part of an overall risk-based security approach, which allows transportation security officers to better focus their efforts on finding higher-threat items such as explosives," he said.
The Flight Attendants Union Coalition, which represents nearly 90,000 flight attendants from carriers across the country, called the decision a "poor and shortsighted decision" by the TSA.
"As the last line of defence in the cabin and key aviation partners, we believe that these proposed changes will further endanger the lives of all flight attendants and the passengers we work so hard to keep safe and secure," the coalition said in a statement.
Castelveter said the TSA has implemented a number of safety measures including reinforced cockpit doors, allowing some pilots to be armed and federal air marshals on board planes. He said those measures would help ensure safety of the passengers and crew.