JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: Here in Washington, the Federal Aviation Administration has judged the way U.S. airports screen luggage, and finds a lot of room for improvement. CNN's Carl Rochelle joins us now with more -- Carl.</s>CARL ROCHELLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jeanne, security measures at U.S. airports are only half as likely to detect bombs, guns, and knives as security in European airports. That is, in tests, European airports security detected twice as many hidden threats as in the United States. What is the problem? The FAA says the average wage for a scanner in the U.S. is $5.75 cents an hour, training is poor, and the job turnover at some airports is 100 percent.</s>IRISH FLYNN, F.A.A. SECURITY ADMINISTRATOR: We saw that people who had longer training, somewhat better pay and benefits, better ongoing testing by the screening companies themselves, had much better performance in detecting objects than comparable screeners in the United States.</s>ROCHELLE: To improve security, the FAA is proposing new rules that include using systems like this one being tested in several airports. Using computer technology, electronic images of threats such as guns, knives, and bombs are projected into bags going through the machine. Screeners don't know whether it is a test until they stop the machine to check the suspicious baggage. The FAA is asking for 420 new x-ray machines with the new testing technology at a cost of $60 million, to begin replacing machines now in use at the nation's airport. It also wants to require FAA certification for companies providing security, and require them, along with the airlines, to be responsible for hiring qualified, skilled employees, and giving them effective training. Flynn expects the rule-making process to take up to a year to reach its final form.</s>MESERVE: Carl Rochelle, thank you.
European Airport Security Twice as Good as American