Air Transportation Security Act

Air Transportation Security Act - Authorizes the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to prescribe regulations requiring that all passengers and all property intended to be carried in the aircraft cabin in air transportation be screened by weapon detecting devices prior to boarding the aircraft. Provides that the Administrator shall acquire such devices, and authorizes appropriations of $5,500,000 from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund for such purposes.

Requires the Administrator to establish an air transportation security force of sufficient size to provide a law enforcement presence at airports in the United States adequate to insure the safety from criminal violence and aircraft piracy of persons traveling in air transportation. Empowers the security force to: (1) detain and search any person attempting to board, or inspect any property intended to be placed aboard, any aircraft in air transportation to determine whether such person is unlawfully carrying, or such property unlawfully contains any dangerous weapon, explosive, or other destructive device; and (2) arrest any person where there is reasonable cause to believe that he has committed a specified crime against aircraft or aircraft facilities.

Provides that, in administering the air transportation security program, the Administrator may provide training for law enforcement personnel whose services may be made available by their employers to assist in carrying out the security program.

Authorizes the Administrator to require any air carrier to refuse to transport any person or the property of any person who does not consent to a search to determine whether a dangerous weapon or substance is on his person or in his property.

Authorizes appropriations of $35,000,000 annually to establish and maintain the air transportation security force.

Provides that whenever the President determines that a foreign nation is acting in a manner inconsistent with the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft, he may, without notice or hearing and for as long as he determines necessary to assure the security of aircraft against unlawful seizure, suspend the right of any air transportation and any persons to operate aircraft in foreign air commerce to and from that foreign nation and the right of any foreign air carrier to engage in foreign air transportation, and any foreign person to operate aircraft in foreign air commerce between the United States and any foreign nation which maintains air service between itself and that foreign nation.

Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to suspend the operating authority of foreign air carriers when he finds that a foreign nation does not effectively maintain and adminsiter security measures relating to transportation of persons or property or mail in foreign air transportation that are equal to or above the minimum standards which are established pursuant to the Convention on International Civil Aviation or, prior to a date when such standards are adopted and enter into force pursuant to such convention, the specifications and practices set out in appendix A to Resolution A17-10 of the Seventeenth Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should initiate negotiations for international agreements to assure the safety of persons and property moving in international air commerce, and to establish international measures to prevent international aircraft piracy. (Adds 49 U.S.C. 1356, 1357, 1513, 1514; Amends 49 U.S.C. 1511)