Travel Safety & Security Update June 2005.

Hearing called to address stalled security clearance process. The White House is struggling to streamline the process for granting security clearance for federal job applicants and contractors, writes The Washington Post's Stephen Barr. Sen. George V. Voinovich, R-Ohio, called a hearing on the issue and said national security programs suffer when it takes applicants a year to obtain proper credentials. The White House also issued an order saying it would set up a process for complying with laws calling for a simpler clearance process. Jun 29, 2005

FAA: New tracking system will save airlines millions. A new tracking system will allow air traffic controllers to more closely monitor commercial jets flying over oceans, USA Today reported. The Federal Aviation Administration said the new system, which is scheduled be operational by year's end, will reduce airlines' fuel costs because planes will fly more direct routes. The FAA says the system could save the government and airlines $2.7 billion by 2013. Jun 24, 2005

Feds report dangerous pattern of airport incidents in Dallas, Los Angeles. Federal investigators have reported a pattern of potentially dangerous incidents at airports in Dallas and Los Angeles, according to media reports. At Los Angeles International Airport, jets were mistakenly parked on a runway used for takeoffs. In Dallas, regulators found some air traffic controllers were not reporting incidents of planes flying too close to each other. None of the incidents have caused accidents. The report said the Dallas incidents "represent safety deficiencies and undermine the public's confidence in the air traffic control system," USA Today reported. Jun 24, 2005

NTSB investigates near-collision at Boston's Logan: The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating two passenger jets that came within seconds of colliding at Boston's Logan International Airport, the Boston Globe reported. The jets were mistakenly cleared to take off at the same time on intersecting runways. Jun 24, 2005

U.S. must fix, secure infrastructure. Fixing and securing infrastructure is one of the nation's "most complex problems," said Barry R. McCaffrey, a national security expert and retired U.S. Army general. McCaffrey sees progress in homeland security, but said political leadership is needed to solve the problem, Construction.com reported. McCaffrey, along with other security and airport leaders, spoke at the Top Firm Leaders Forum this month in Chicago. Jun 24, 2005

Despite screening, lighters making it through airport security. Several travelers flying through Minneapolis say they have made it through airport security checkpoints with at least one lighter in their pocket or carryon bags, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. A TSA spokesman said the system for detecting lighters is effective, and the incidents do not necessarily indicate failed screening efforts. Jun 24, 2005

Despite screening, lighters making it through airport security. Several travelers flying through Minneapolis say they have made it through airport security checkpoints with at least one lighter in their pocket or carryon bags, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. A TSA spokesman said the system for detecting lighters is effective, and the incidents do not necessarily indicate failed screening efforts. Jun 24, 2005

Registered-traveler program gets off to a slow start. Computer glitches complicated the first day of a registered-traveler program at Orlando International Airport, the Orlando Sentinel reported. The program uses biometric information to speed travelers through security lines. But many applicants, who pay $80 a year to participate, arrived at the airport without the necessary forms of government identification. Verified Identity Pass runs the program, and CEO Steven Brill said the company's computer server crashed for several hours. But he also said he was happy with the number of travelers the company was able to register. Jun 23, 2005

Biometric security program debuts in Florida airport. A private program that uses biometric information to speed travelers through security lines debuted this week at Florida's Orlando International Airport, The Associated Press reported. Passengers pay $80 a year to participate in the program. They supply their biometric data at airport kiosks. The data is then submitted to the Transportation Security Administration for verification. The TSA hopes up to 30,000 people participate in the pilot program. Jun 22, 2005

TSA buys commercial data on airline passengers. The Transportation Security Administration said it has purchased some commercial data about passengers, The Associated Press reported. The TSA, which is testing the Secure Flight terrorist screening program, told Congress it would not seek out commercial data about travelers. Jun 21, 2005

Air travelers can avoid blood clots by moving their legs. Deep-vein thrombosis has been in the news in recent years, but experts say it's relatively easy for air travelers to avoid clots forming in their blood vessels. Passengers simply need to make sure to move their legs by taking short walks in the airport prior to their flight and on the plane. Those at high risk may also wear graduated compression stockings, which a recent study found greatly reduced the chances of developing dangerous clots on long-distance flights. Jun 21, 2005

Trusted traveler program should proceed with caution. Congress should make sure the "trusted traveler" program does not create new ways for terrorists to breach security, writes the Cincinnati Inquirer editorial board. Also, lawmakers should support requiring biometric markers on passports used by participants in the trusted traveler program. Jun 17, 2005

Puffer machines may reduce airport pat-downs. New explosive detection devices will help reduce the number of passengers patted down at security checkpoints, The New York Times reported. The Transportation Security Administration will equip large airports with "puffer" machines by the end of the year. The walkthrough devices detect trace amounts of explosives. Jun 16, 2005

Airport security changes have not boosted safety. Changes to the aviation security system have not made travel safer, writes Washington Post columnist Anne Applebaum. Outside studies consistently find federal screeners do not do a better job than private screeners. Much of the Transportation Security Administration's $5.5 billion budget is misspent, she says. Jun 15, 2005

U.S. to rework biometric passport plan. The United States will revamp its plan to require biometric passports for people coming into the country when they don't have a visa, according to The Associated Press. An anonymous official with the Homeland Security Department said the standards have not yet been released, but there would be plans to include biometric data in passports. Jun 15, 2005

Raytheon to announce airport missile defense system. Raytheon has developed a ground system of infrared sensors and microwave beams that would shield airports and protect commercial planes from shoulder-launched missiles, according to media reports. The company will announce the system today at the Paris Air Show. The company developed the system in secret for several years. Jun 14, 2005

Terrorist database inaccurate, inspector general says. The government's database for suspected terrorists is missing names, according to the Justice Department's inspector general. The list also contains names that were mistakenly included. Still, Inspector General Glenn A. Fine supported and praised efforts to merge watch lists from nine government agencies. Jun 14, 2005

Business fliers, some lawmakers support trusted traveler program. As waits in airport security lines continue to lengthen, some business travelers and lawmakers are pushing for a "trusted traveler" program, the Cincinnati Inquirer reports. The program would allow pre qualified travelers to avoid regular security lines. Instead, they would pay a fee, go through a background check and have access to shorter lines. The Transportation Security Administration said it could take years to launch a nationwide program. Jun 13, 2005

Some lawmakers leery of passport proposal. Sens. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., and Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., last week urged the Bush administration to reconsider a proposal that would require Americans to show a passport when reentering the U.S. from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Department of Homeland Security officials say the new rules are necessary to address border-security vulnerabilities, but Coleman urged Bush not to give terrorists "the victory of making us twist ourselves into a pretzel in the name of security." Jun 13, 2005

There are compelling reasons to have a passport: Passports are easy to carry and offer protection to Americans who travel abroad, so getting them should be a given for U.S. citizens planning foreign trips, writes David Molyneaux in the San Francisco Chronicle. Passports are harder to forge than birth certificates and are currently the best document to use when crossing a border. Jun 13, 2005

Homeland Security, unions struggle with changes to labor relations. The Department of Homeland Security thinks changes to its labor-management system are vital to the quick deployment of employees during an emergency, writes The Washington Post's Stephen Barr. Meanwhile, unions want to keep their collective bargaining rights in place. Jun 10, 2005

Audit finds Homeland Security has inadequate backup plans. An internal audit has found that the Department of Homeland Security had no adequate backup systems in place in the event of a terror attack, The New York Times reported. Computer systems in 19 department sites had deficient backup systems. Agencies, such as the Transportation Security Administration, had not prepared sufficient written disaster recovery plans. Jun 9, 2005

U.S. needs better identification system. The U.S. should consider creating national identification cards, writes Randall Larsen in an editorial in USA TODAY. Larsen, who frequently serves as an expert witness on homeland security issues, believes the benefits of ID cards could outweigh the risks. Before the government creates an ID card system, the public must feel secure that such a system would protect privacy. Jun 9, 2005

TSA must become more proactive. Transportation Security Administration officials should work aggressively to improve airport security, writes the Orlando Sentinel editorial board. The TSA has taken too long to implement simple improvements to the passenger screening process, the board writes. Jun 7, 2005

TSA must become more proactive. Transportation Security Administration officials should work aggressively to improve airport security, writes the Orlando Sentinel editorial board. The TSA has taken too long to implement simple improvements to the passenger screening process, the board writes. Jun 7, 2005

Sept. 11 commission seeks data on terror prevention. Members of the Sept. 11 commission will ask the White House to show what efforts it has undertaken to prevent terrorist attacks, The New York Times reported. The group will ask for permission to gather information from the Central Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon and several other agencies. The information will be used in a series of public hearings set to begin today. Jun 6, 2005

Small changes will make big difference to airport security. A Department of Homeland Security report concluded small changes to the passenger screening process could close large gaps in airport security. It suggested checking passengers' hands for explosive residue and expanding security checkpoints. A Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman said the TSA has addressed most of the recommended changes. Jun 6, 2005

FAA report blames controller union for scheduling problems. A Federal Aviation Administration report blames the New York controllers union for poor scheduling practices and high overtime costs, according to media reports. The two sides will negotiate a new contract this summer. Union officials said they disagreed with the report and said the FAA was "scapegoating" responsibility for the problems. Jun 3, 2005

Homeland Security to equip LAX with trace detection technology. Security upgrades at Los Angeles International Airport will include trace detection technology able to detect explosives from microscopic particles, according to Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff. Chertoff took a daylong tour of the airport on Thursday, the Los Angeles Daily News reports. Jun 3, 2005

U.S. Transit passengers should give themselves plenty of time when connecting to another international flight through an American gateway airport. All luggage will come off the inbound aircraft and you will need to collect it and dispatch it again once through the various welcoming committees. If it has been tagged properly the airline staff will quickly take it off you and send it on its way. You have to pass through both immigration and customs and the Department of Homeland Security before presenting yourself at the normal outbound check which now includes taking one's shoes off. Allow for an hour at least and don't lock your case or it could be forced open. Visas are not needed for transit passengers so if you have one don't waste your time filling in the white sheet. You need to complete the green one. Confusing. Yes. But the authorities are mystified too! Readers might also like to know that US airlines are now not allowed to have curtains dividing up the various areas on the aircraft. No more discretion with the special VIP passenger in first. Everyone can see everything. Drinks can be served to passengers before takeoff but this must be done with plastic cups. Once in the air glass goblets are allowed. A further security measure is to block the passageway to the cockpit with a catering trolley when that door is open. On the face of it a bright idea but hardly practical. Of course the cockpit could be sealed but not all aircraft have dedicated crew rest rooms or a flight deck galley. http://www.dhs.gov Jun 3, 2005

Security personnel may miss rare targets, study finds. A study funded by the Transportation Security Administration found when targets of a search rarely show up, they are more likely to escape detection, the Boston Globe reports. Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital, which conducted the study, plan to work with TSA employees to determine if there is a real problem. Jun 2, 2005

Security officials reconsider proposal for passenger lists. U.S. officials are considering alternatives to a proposal that would have required airlines to submit passenger lists an hour before a flight departs for the U.S., the Washington Post reports. One option is to allow carriers to send passenger names to security officials as each passenger checks in. Airlines had complained about the original proposal, claiming it would disrupt flight schedules. Jun 1, 2005

Many FAA projects run behind schedule, over budget, report finds. Many Federal Aviation Administration projects are running late and are costing more than originally expected, according to government reports. Transportation Department Inspector General Kenneth Mead said 16 large projects will now cost $14.5 billion, up from a previous estimate of $8.9 billion. Jun 1, 2005

Alliant Tech hopes airlines adopt missile defense system. Alliant Techsystems has developed a missile defense system that detects shoulder-launched missiles fired from the ground, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported. The system is already used on some military planes and helicopters, and the company hopes commercial airlines will eventually install it in their jetliners. Jun 14, 2005

ATA president: Calls for a new air traffic control system. According to Air Transport Association President and CEO James May, Congress will have the best opportunity for meaningful change when it reauthorizes the Federal Aviation Administration. Current policy undermines the aviation industry by imposing burdensome taxes and regulations and by failing to upgrade an outdated infrastructure. May called for cost-saving consolidation of FAA ground operations as well as a new satellite-based air traffic control system. It is time, he said "to retire the radar system to the Smithsonian." Jun 22, 2005

DHS launches investigation of TSA's Secure Flight tests. The Transportation Security Administration may have violated privacy rules when it tested a new passenger screening program, according to media reports. The Department of Homeland Security's privacy office will investigate the new system, called Secure Flight. An official from a company conducting tests for the TSA said no Social Security numbers or financial information was used in the tests. Jun 16, 2005

Accusations stall India's Jet Airways' entry to the U.S.. A U.S. company has accused India's Jet Airways Ltd. of having links to al-Qaida, stalling the carrier's plans to fly to the U.S., Reuters reported. The airline is considering a lawsuit against the Maryland company that made the accusations. Jet Airways says the accusations are "baseless and an attempt to besmirch the reputation of a renowned airline." The Department of Transportation is reviewing the issue. Jun 7, 2005

Newark airport screeners boast high pass rate. More than 97% of the security screeners at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey passed annual tests on checkpoint and bomb-detection machine procedures, according to the Transportation Security Administration. The pass rate is among the highest in the U.S. Newark was one of the airports used by the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers. Jun 28, 2005