Airport Security, Flight | featured news

Nikki Stern lost her husband in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and she doesn't understand why knives would be allowed in airplane cabins 12 years later.

Some family members of Sept. 11 terror victims are angry over new flight-safety rules that will permit small knives on planes. The head of the Transportation Security Administration said Tuesday that air passengers will now be allowed to carry folding knives with blades that are 2.36 inches or less. The rules go into effect next month. They'll also permit souvenir baseball bats, golf clubs and other sports equipment. Debra Burlingame says small pocketknives can be just as lethal as the box cutters that are still banned.

The man in the aisle reportedly would not return to his seat. Passengers said another man with him repeatedly stood up and kept asking how long until the plane arrived in Portland. Yet another man was reportedly reading a book about weapons, according to a passenger seated next to that person. All three were taken off the plane in Chicago.

In response to a video of a California man's dispute with airport security officials, the Transportation Security Administration said Monday it tries to be sensitive to individuals, but everyone getting on a flight must be screened.