By Sharon Theimer, Associated Press, 09/19/01

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WASHINGTON -- The nation's mayors are urging the federal government to take over airport security and include airport shops in any financial aid package crafted for struggling airlines.

The use of federal workers rather than private employees to handle airport security screening and background checks would provide uniformity and higher professional standards, New Orleans Mayor Marc H. Morial, president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, said Wednesday.

"As high as they are, they need to be higher," Morial said. "It's in everyone's interest to send the strongest message through both our actions and our words that our skies, the airports and the inside of planes are safe."

Security systems, particularly passenger screening, must be modernized, Morial said. At the same time, cities worry the federal government will impose new security requirements without providing money to pay for them, he said.

Many of the 1,200 cities in the conference run airports. Morial and officials from several major cities, including Chicago, Houston, Denver, Detroit and Charlotte, N.C., held a teleconference Wednesday morning to discuss the impact last week's terrorist attacks in New York and Washington have had on them.

Layoffs are a big worry. The conference wants to make sure any federal aid package for airlines also assists airport concessions hit by a decline in airport passengers, Morial said.

Major airlines have announced more than 26,000 layoffs and say that could reach 100,000 due to the grounding of flights following last week's terrorist attacks, plus the prospect of reduced business in the coming months.

Mayors also:

- Are concerned about the impact eliminating curbside check-ins could have, including whether terminals can accommodate larger numbers of passengers standing in line.

- Want the federal government to include train and bus systems in security discussions.

- Believe instituting background checks on airport concession employees should be considered, but do not think airport shops themselves pose much of a security risk.

"Concessions at airports helps to keep landing fees lower," Morial said. "And when you keep landing fees lower, you keep the cost of flying much more reasonable."