BWI Officers Uncover 13 Knives in Passenger Carry-On

A passenger going through security at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport was caught with 13 knives in his carry-on luggage July 7. BWI officers stopped the passenger, who was later arrested by local police, TSA spokesperson Kawika Riley told with Air Safety Week.

There was no impact to flight operations. The passenger was arrested on state charges, Riley said.

The 13 knives included mostly spring blades and a butterfly knife, Riley said.

FAA: No Safety Violations by Metropolitan Aviation

A FAA investigation into Metropolitan Aviation concluded the charter and management company did not violate any safety regulations, refuting a whistleblower's claims.

A former employee of Metropolitan Aviation filed claims against the company with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) after he was terminated due poor performance. The company said he posed an unacceptable risk to aircraft, crew and clientele, according to CEO Alan Cook.

"We are happy, but not surprised," said Cook. "We take safety and the regulations very seriously, and recognize that the investigation was a necessary precaution even though it was based on erroneous claims."

The employee was paid full pay and benefits after his termination, both of which ceased upon his efforts to collect up to $750,000 in exchange for not reporting Metropolitan Aviation to authorities for alleged safety violations.

OSHA, which was in charge of this action, enlisted the FAA to investigate the safety and termination issues leading to the investigation and dismissal of all safety claims made.

India, U.S to Sign Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement

India's Ministry of Civil Aviation has approved the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BAA) with the United States.

The proposed agreement, which is expected to be signed when U.S. Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton visits the country this week, will open up a market for export of aeronautical products manufactured in the United States, India and other regions.

Bilateral agreements determine airworthiness certification of civil aeronautical products imported/exported between two countries, according to the FAA. This includes a variety of aviation areas: maintenance, flight operations, and environmental certification.

For aircraft certification, an Implementation Procedures for Airworthiness is developed. The document addresses design approvals, production activities, export airworthiness approval, post-design approval activities and technical cooperation, according to the FAA.