Are air marshals disappearing?
The Transportation Security Administration is challenging an investigative report by CNN that claims the number of flights protected by armed air marshals has been drastically reduced. The news organization said it interviewed dozens of air marshals and pilots in its investigation, and concluded that fewer than 1 percent of U.S. commercial airline flights have marshals on board – or about 280 flights a day out of the 28,000 scheduled departures. TSA, however, called the CNN findings “a myth,” and claimed that the actual number of daily flights protected by air marshals is in the thousands – although it would not provide specific numbers for security reasons. According to CNN, sources inside the air marshal program told its investigators that the number of marshals peaked in 2003 and has been on a downward slide since then, as many marshals who quit the agency are not being replaced. Sources told CNN that the TSA considers a flight to be protected as long as someone on board is armed –
