International gateway airports proposed for small aircraft.

• Position: SECURITY BEAT: HOMELAND DEFENSE BRIEFS

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Three Department of Homeland Security agencies are collaborating on a proposal to have small aircraft entering the United States land at so-called "gateway airports" so they can be inspected before traveling to large cities.

The concern is that terrorists could use general aviation to import radiological and nuclear weapons and materials. The nightmare scenario is that a rogue pilot flies close to a city and detonates a nuclear bomb.

The Domestic Nuclear Detections Office is working with Customs and Border Protection and Transportation Security Administration on a concept that would require general aviation aircraft flying from overseas to stop at international gateway airports, where they will be scanned for radiological and nuclear material before flying into U.S. airspace.

"In order to minimize flight deviations for international general aviation traffic from Canada and Mexico, our [DNDO] proposed concept would pair the international gateway airports with a complementary network of domestic gateway airports," said Charles Galloway, acting director of DNDO, at a House Homeland Security transportation security and infrastructure protection subcommittee heating. The domestic gateways would be...