The United States of America has always been setting the benchmark with respect to how it has shaped the aviation industry. From having a dark history marred by terror attacks and hijacking, to ultimately becoming the safest and most well-networked country in the world by flights, the last six decades have seen the US come a very long way.

In lesser-known news, they also have a high-profile safety service called a Federal Air Marshal. Federal Air Marshals, known colloquially as FAMs, are Transportation Service Administration officials who are onboard flights to and from America to protect crew and passengers against the risk of criminal violence.

In March 2022, the legal enforcement first introduced in the 1960s by former President John F. Kennedy marked 60 years of operations.

TSA Miami Airport 2019
Photo: Getty Images

What exactly is the Federal Air Marshall service?

The service, now broadly under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), was further tightened following the 9/11 attacks which led to nearly 3,000 deaths of Americans and other citizens, as well as the loss of three aircraft. Since then, the US has had incomparably safe skies and no incidents of hijacking or terrorism in the skies.

Owing to the confidentiality with which the FAMs are employed, trained and operate, their occupations are one of the least known to the world. Nevertheless, they remain extremely important with testimony to boot for America’s aviation safety.

How do FAMs work?

FAMs operate in covert positions, so consequently, they must undergo a hiring process that is as intense as their occupation. FAMs have to go through a rigorous process of assessments, which involves interviews, psychological, physical, and medical tests among others. A thorough background check is also conducted in order to ensure that the FAMs hold no prior record of malice or anything else that is legally unacceptable.

After the hiring process, the FAMs are trained at a TSA facility based out of New Mexico, located at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centre in Artesia. The training then continues onto the William J. Hughes Technical Centre in New Jersey.

Delta Air Lines Airbus A350-900
Photo: Airbus

While the first aspect of training revolves around the fundamentals of law enforcement, the latter round tests their ability to be a sharpshooter with flawless skills to address the worst onboard an aircraft.

FAMs are based out of 21 different stations across the United States and may be deployed onboard flights with just one hour’s notice. Flights to destinations posing a risk in any way or projected to be in a place of high significance may be particularly earmarked for the FAMs to cover, for example, a city where the President is visiting.

They are dressed in plain clothing and are expected to blend in with the other passengers onboard the flight, to understandably mitigate the chances of diffusing the surprise element of their job. They also stay in hotels of their own choice to increase anonymity.

The TSA also instructs the Federal Air Marshals to maintain social confidentiality of their occupation by saying that they only work for the organization, without ever actually revealing their narrowed designation.

60 years of successfully keeping the skies safe is a remarkable achievement and testament to the effectiveness of the Air Marshall program.