The emotion that has swept the US since 11 September has led to the passing of legislation that does not optimise airport security... If it's good enough for Belfast and Tel Aviv, it should be good enough for the US

Securicor spokesman

The decision, taken in the wake of the attacks on the US using hijacked jetliners on 11 September, means that all US airports will come under a single security system overseen by the Department of Transportation.

Securicor says it is examining the decision to see whether there is room for a compensation claim.

"We are seeking legal advice," a spokesman said. "This was completely unforeseeable."

Off the case

Securicor's Argenbright subsidiary runs security at 42 US airports, including Boston's Logan Airport from which two of the hijacked planes took off.

Until 15 November, that is, when Logan's security chief revoked Argenbright's licence.

Colonel John DiFava said the company's management of security was lax, and last year Argenbright paid a $1m fine for security violations including hiring convicted felons.

And in the past two months other incidents have included leaving a checkpoint unstaffed, allowing a traveller to get all the way from the car park to a departure gate without going through a metal detector.

"I felt we had ample cause and it was time to move," Col DiFava said.

Still, since Col DiFava said it was management, rather than staff, who were at fault, Argenbright employees are likely to be rehired by whoever takes over.

Small business

The airport security business is hardly a major earner for Securicor.

Sales at Argenbright's aviation business were less than �120m ($172m) in 2000, compared with a turnover at Securicor's core businesses of more than �1bn.

But the Congressional move still leaves 6,000 Argenbright staff facing either a transition to becoming state employees or getting the sack.

Securicor's spokesman pointed to the way airport security works in the UK, a number of other European countries and Israel as a better way forward.

There, the government sets standards and regulates private firms to carry them out.

"The emotion that has swept the US since 11 September has led to the passing of legislation that does not optimise airport security," he said.

"If it's good enough for Belfast and Tel Aviv, it should be good enough for the US."