Airline employee brings ammo through secured area

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — An airline employee at Charlotte Douglas Airport is not allowed into secure areas of the airport after investigators say he brought a box of live ammunition through security.

A spokeswoman for American Airlines said the employee works for Piedmont Airlines, a subsidiary of American that operates many of the commuter flights from the airport’s E concourse.

She said a co-worker saw the box of bullets inside the secure area Sunday night and contacted Homeland Security officials.

The spokeswoman said having ammunition inside the security zone violates both airline and airport policy, and that employee has had his security clearance temporarily revoked while they conduct an internal investigation.

There are many places at Charlotte Douglas where airport and airline employees with key cards can bypass security checkpoints.

A spokeswoman for Charlotte Douglas would not discuss security protocols, but said their security is robust and has many layers.

Police have filed a report in the case, but only for documentation purposes, and say they don’t consider it a criminal offense.

WSOC