WASHINGTON (AP) -- The head of security for the Federal Aviation Administration decided to quit after he was told to reassign air marshals to commercial flights carrying members of President Bush's Cabinet, a source with knowledge of the resignation said Thursday.
Michael A. Canavan, named associate administrator for FAA's office of civil aviation security in December, said the marshals had been assigned to other flights that he felt could be more at risk of a hijacking, according to the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Bush administration officials had wanted marshals on the planes carrying Cabinet members, who took commercial flights to demonstrate that air travel was safe and thereby encourage Americans to return to flying.
It could not be learned whether marshals were transferred to the planes carrying the Cabinet secretaries, or why Canavan felt other flights were more vulnerable.
Canavan did not immediately return a message Thursday. Cabinet officers usually travel with their security aides.
At the time, the FAA was rushing to hire and train air marshals, while temporarily using armed law enforcement officials from other federal agencies. A small number of air marshals had flown for years on U.S. airliners, but the program was sharply increased following the terrorist attacks.
The reason for the resignation was first reported Thursday by USA Today.
The FAA, which confirmed Canavan's departure last week, would say only that it was a mutually agreed-upon decision between the retired Army lieutenant general and Administrator Jane Garvey, who named him to the post.
Lynne Osmus, deputy associate administrator for civil aviation security, will take over until a permanent replacement is named.
