The Association of Flight Attendants has reacted strongly to yesterday?s news that US transport authorities are considering relaxing the rules on items that can be carried onboard in hand luggage.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is to review the items by type next January and knitting needles and knives with blades of less than two inches long are amongst the items that may be permitted. Items like tweezers, and unfilled cigarette lighters have been put back on the list of approved items since the regulations were introduced after 9/11.
But the Association of Flight Attendants says it is not at all happy about this and has vowed to lobby its 46,000 members to bombard TSA Director Kip Hawley?s e-mail inbox on the subject this week. The association?s spokeswoman Corey Caldwell claims that even seemingly harmless objects can be deadly and there should be no further relaxation of the list.