Knives, scissors and other banned items recovered at airport security checkpoints by the TSA are shown as part of an exhibit on the 9/11 attacks at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in DC on Sept. 1, 2011.

(Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

For the first time since the Sept. 11 attacks, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will and previously banned sports equipment on planes, according to Bloomberg News.

At an aviation security conference in Brooklyn, New York, TSA Administrator John Pistole said the change is intended to conform with international rules and help provide a better experience for travelers, reports Bloomberg. The change, which will take effect on April 25, will allow travelers to carry on knives -- less than 2.36 inches or 6 centimeters long -- as well as sports equipment, such as hockey sticks and golf clubs.

The policy change was immediately , who say the decision will create unnecessary risk, reports the Los Angeles Times.

According to , Stacy K. Martin, president of the Southwest Airlines' Flight Attendants Union, TWU Local 556, said in a statement that the decision should be "immediately rescinded."

The TSA said in a statement, however, that the change allows the agency "to focus on the threats that can cause catastrophic damage to an aircraft."

TSA spokesman David Castelverer said the , including reinforced cockpit doors, and federal marshals on board airplanes to further ensure the safety of passengers and crew, reports Reuters.

Items that had been prohibited, like box cutters, knives with a fixed blade and razor blades are still banned from planes.

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