August 29th, 1990. Geraldo Rivera on his Now It Can Be Told series with an explosive report on just how lax security is at American airports — complete with an undercover operation using the names of three international terrorists.
“A security company bids for the job, the airlines award a contract to the lowest bidder. Training varies depending on the company, it can last anywhere from two hours, to two weeks…”
On three separate airlines, a NOW production assistant used the names of three separate wanted criminals, paid cash, and checked bags containing imitation explosives. All arrived at their destinations unchallenged.
Towards the end of this segment we hear from Senator Alfonse D’Amato (R-NY) about efforts to initiate federal security at airports around the country. What is being done to address these issues?
Security at airports was the responsibility of the airlines until the creation of the TSA, or Transportation Security Administration, in 2001. In 2025, every airport operation aircraft with over 60 seats is required to have a TSA approved Airport Security Program.
This day, Geraldo’s television history.