Speak Out: Should Small Knives Be Allowed on Airplanes?

The Transportation Security Administration announced on Tuesday that passengers will be allowed to carry small pocket knives on airplanes after a 12-year ban, CNN reports. 

The TSA will allow small knives with blades that are 2.36 inches or shorter, or 6 centimeters and less than a 1/2 inch wide on flights as long as the blade is not fixed or locked in place effective April 25.  (See prohibited items list changes here)

Razor blades and box cutters are still on the prohibited items list, according to the report. 

A variety of sporting equipment including two golf clubs, toy bats, ski poles and hockey sticks will also be allowed in carry-on luggage. 

These items were banned from flights after September 11, 2001.

The TSA released the following statement concerning the changes to prohibited items:

“Through TSA’s layered approach to security, and to align more closely with International Civil Aviation Organization standards, effective April 25, 2013 TSA will allow knives that do not lock, and have blades that are 2.36 inches or 6 centimeters or less in length and are less than 1/2 inch in width, novelty-sized and toy bats, billiard cues, ski poles, hockey sticks, lacrosse sticks and two golf clubs as part of their carry-on baggage. This is part of an overall Risk-Based Security approach, which allows Transportation Security Officers to better focus their efforts on finding higher threat items such as explosives.”

Security experts say security improvements made since September 11 have made the ban of those items unnecessary, according to the report. 

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA has spoken out against the change, saying the "policy reversal is against the best interest of the security of crew and passengers in the aircraft cabin ..." 

The group has started a petition to keep pocketknives off airplanes on the White House's website

For a full list of prohibited items, click here. 

What do you think? Should pocketknives be allowed on flights? Tell us in the comments.