Travel Safety & Security Update September 2005.

Data-sharing deal challenged by European Parliament. The European Parliament is challenging an agreement between Europe and the U.S. on sharing airline passenger information. The European Commission and EU governments in 2004 reached a deal with the U.S. to share data. The agreement stipulates that European airlines must turn over detailed personal data about passengers who travel to the U.S. The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg will hold hearings on the issue Oct. 18. Some members of European Parliament believe the agreement violates privacy laws. Sep 30, 2005

Homeland Security's first privacy officer steps down. The Department of Homeland Security's first chief privacy officer said she will leave her post for a position at General Electric. Nuala O'Connor Kelly played a role in delaying Secure Flight, an airline security program that gathers information about travelers by accessing commercial databases, according to privacy advocates. She also launched an investigation of JetBlue Airways, which turned over passenger records to the government for a security project. The Department of Homeland Security has named Maureen Cooney, O'Connor Kelly's chief of staff, as acting chief privacy officer. Sep 29, 2005

Should airlines turn off TVs during emergencies? Airlines face a difficult choice when deciding how much information to give passengers during an in-flight emergency, writes The Wall Street Journal's Scott McCartney. Satellite television, the Internet and cell phones give passengers the ability to learn more about emergencies as they occur. Sep 27, 2005

Feds end testing of Registered Traveler program. The Transportation Security Administration will end testing of the Registered Traveler program, which allowed some travelers to move through airport security quicker in exchange for providing personal information. The TSA will review the program, a spokeswoman said. However, some TSA officials do not want to expand the program. Critics say the program never became popular because it could only be used at the airport where participating travelers were registered. Sep 27, 2005

Feds should postpone Secure Flight screening testing. An advisory committee said the Transportation Security Administration should not test a screening plan matching airline passenger names against terrorist watch lists until it addresses privacy concerns. The TSA planned to start testing the Secure Flight program next month. The committee said the TSA did not specify how the technology will match the names or how it will address the possibility of false matches. Sep 26, 2005

United States immigration authorities are tightening up on one of their more daft so-called security innovations. From Tuesday October 4 all arrivals to that fine country will have to give precise details of their first night's accommodation. A full address including postal code will be required. And it is no good giving the name Avis at whatever airport you have arrived at, saying you were driving to another state overnight. That will cost the airline [pounds sterling]1,900 and they will have to find you (and one suspects all your party) a seat on the return flight. Holiday makers flying in expecting to take a leisurely cruise back to Southampton the same day on Queen Mary 2 might take note that its address is Pier 92, Hudson River, NY 10014. But they are not night-stopping, the ship gets away that evening. In any event it is very unlikely that the authorities will actually get around to checking every person's overnight accommodation address but some (probably newspaper) crank will no doubt put down The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500 and get away with it. http://www.usimmigrationsupport.org Sep 26, 2005

TSA flies in more screeners into Houston ahead of storm. Houston's two airports on Thursday overflowed with people hoping to leave the city ahead of Hurricane Rita. Officials said many Transportation Security Administration screeners did not report to work, which slowed the security screening process. The TSA flew in additional screeners from other Texas cities Thursday. Sep 23, 2005

Design changes at airports called for to handle storms, disasters. Hurricane Katrina has forced airport directors to rethink the role their facilities play when disasters strike, The Wall Street Journal's Scott McCartney writes. After the storm hit New Orleans, its airport was used as a shelter and a hospital. New Orleans Airport Director Roy Williams suggested at an industry conference that changes should be made to terminal designs. Sep 23, 2005

Lawmakers say mass transit security needs improvements. U.S. senators have called for improvements in subway and bus security to prevent a terrorist attack. They also questioned claims by a top Transportation Security Administration official who said security on the U.S. mass transit system was "outstanding." Sen. Joseph Lieberman , D-Conn., said just $300 million had been spent on mass transit security since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Sep 21, 2005

Proposed changes to banned items list face scrutiny. The Transportation Security Administration is considering allowing airline passengers to carry some sharp objects, including small knives, on commercial jets. Flight attendants, some lawmakers and family members of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks oppose the plan and say it would undermine improvements made to aviation security. Christopher Bidwell, managing director of security for the Air Transport Association, said the federal review was an attempt to better focus security efforts on passengers who might need additional screening. "What happened after 9/11 is you had just a multitude of additional security measures that just got put in place and there was no real analysis," said Bidwell, Sep 20, 2005

FAA to propose cabin cameras to improve security. The Federal Aviation Administration will propose installing cameras in the cabins of commercial jetliners and equipping flight attendants with wireless devices to improve security. The wireless devices would allow flight attendants to alert pilots to an emergency. The FAA will take public comments on the plan and then decide whether to require the changes. Sep 20, 2005

Proposed changes to banned items list face scrutiny. The Transportation Security Administration is considering allowing airline passengers to carry some sharp objects, including small knives, on commercial jets. Flight attendants, some lawmakers and family members of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks oppose the plan and say it would undermine improvements made to aviation security. Sep 19, 2005

The Transportation Security Administration has taken the view that a one-way ticket is a terrorist tool and is compelling airlines to have their computers flag one-way tickets holders for extra screening. On a recent trip a reader (an ex-airline person), was erroneously issued a series of one-way tickets for what was actually a return trip, including an overnight stay. That caused the reservation system to flag his name and stamp his boarding pass at each stop with 'SSSS' - the dreaded 'Quad-S' - which alerts TSA agents to give him a personal "once over". This happened four times in a single day and was, to say the least, inconvenient. He is worried now that he may be on some kind of Big Brother terrorist watch list! He suggests that Europeans traveling on one-way tickets might eventually become similarly afflicted. http://www.tsa.gov/public/index.jsp Sep 19, 2005

Immunity for diplomatic bags may threaten security. Some security analysts believe terrorists eventually could use diplomatic pouches in an attack. Diplomatic pouches are immune from security screening -- the Vienna Convention protects the pouches from being opened or detained in any way. Some security experts have asked the U.S. and other countries to reconsider the policy on diplomatic bags. Sep 18, 2005

University researchers develop plan to cut cockpit errors. A cockpit error is made during more than 60% of commercial airline flights, according to University of Texas researchers. Most are small mistakes, such as skipping a checklist item, writes The Wall Street Journal's Scott McCartney. Robert L. Helmreich and his colleagues at the university have developed a strategy called "Threat and Error Management" to cut down on mistakes. Continental Airlines is one of the airlines using the methods and says it has reduced cockpit errors by 70%. Sep 16, 2005

Homeland Security chief may face questions on storm response. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff will likely be asked to explain his decisions before, during and after Hurricane Katrina. The White House and Congress have promised an "after action review" of the federal government's response to the storm. Observers have criticized Chertoff for underestimating the storm's severity and the suffering of victims trapped in New Orleans. Sep 16, 2005

NTSB chairman: Airfield safety system is inconsistent. Several near-collisions indicate airfield warning systems installed at several major U.S. airports are not dependable, said Mark Rosenker, acting chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. Officials said a software problem is stopping the radar-based Airport Movement Area Safety System from detecting planes approaching each other on intersecting runways. FAA spokesman Greg Martin defended the warning system and said it has prevented four accidents. Sep 16, 2005

Homeland security official says response to storm was poor. The Department of Homeland Security failed in its response to Hurricane Katrina, said Lee Holcomb, the agency's chief technology officer. He said telecommunications problems accounted for some of the failure. As the water rose, backup generators used to run police radio transmitters and cell-phone towers were left without a power source. He also noted the Department of Homeland Security's Web site was not updated frequently in the aftermath of the storm. Sep 15, 2005

FAA officials were warned of al-Qaida threat in 1998, report says. Federal Aviation Administration officials were warned in 1998 that al-Qaida could hijack a commercial jetliner and fly it into a U.S. landmark, according to previously unreleased parts of a report prepared by the 9-11 Commission. The White House posted a new version of the report on the National Archives Web site. It also says FAA officials knew before the attacks that significant security lapses had occurred at two of the three airports involved in the hijackings. Sep 14, 2005

Registered-travel company helps fliers speed through lines. A company called Verified Identity Pass offers travelers an encoded identity card allowing them to pass through airport security checkpoints without waiting in a long line, writes The New York Times' Joe Sharkey. The card costs $79.95, and the program has about 7,000 enrolled members as of mid-July. It is in an early test phase in Orlando and is one of six registered-traveler programs that have been tested this year. Sep 13, 2005

Experts fear nation's capital not prepared for terrorist attack. The government has spent more than $2 billion to protect Washington, D.C., since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, but security officials say another large terrorist strike could result in chaos and confusion similar to that caused by Hurricane Katrina. Experts envision extreme congestion on the Capital Beltway as resident flee the city, and federal and city officials scrambling to determine who is in charge. Sep 13, 2005

TSA has not set goals for crew security training, report says. The Transportation Security Administration still has not set performance goals or created ways to assess cabin crew security training aboard commercial flights, a new government report found. The Government Accountability Office report also found the TSA has set no timeline for determining whether a voluntary self-defense training program established in 2004 for airline employees is effective. Sep 9, 2005

Flight 93 memorial to feature wind chimes, maple trees. The memorial dedicated to the passengers who died aboard United Airlines Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001, will feature a set of chimes inside a 93-foot tower. Jurors who chose the design, which was created by Paul and Milena Murdoch of Los Angeles, described it as tranquil and beautiful. The memorial will also include two stands of red maple trees that will line a crescent walkway. Sep 8, 2005

FAA official assures senator of Northwest's safety. The head of the Federal Aviation Administration has assured a Minnesota senator that Northwest Airlines is safe. Sen. Mark Dayton, D-Minn., sent a letter to FAA Administrator Marion Blakey about safety allegations raised by a FAA inspector. The Department of Transportation is currently investigating Northwest. Sep 8, 2005

Security leaders worry about natural disasters. Nearly half of security leaders polled in a recent study say their emergency response organizations have not made significant improvements in preparedness since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The officials also said they are four times more worried about a natural disaster than a terrorist attack. The study was conducted before Hurricane Katrina. Sep 8, 2005

Federal air marshals stream into New Orleans airport. Hundreds of federal air marshals were sent to New Orleans' Louis Armstrong International Airport Friday to restore order in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. They recovered more than 70 firearms, as well as knives, ammunition and other weapons. Sep 7, 2005

FAA, Transportation Department to launch Northwest probe. The Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating Northwest Airlines for possible safety problems. An FAA maintenance inspector raised the allegations. Northwest is using replacement mechanics to maintain its fleet of jetliners as it copes with a mechanics strike. Northwest said in a statement that safety "is of paramount importance to every employee." The airline said it is in constant contact with the FAA regarding safety. Sep 6, 2005

CDC wants access to passenger lists to track illnesses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention want access to airline passenger lists in order to track people exposed to exotic diseases. Concerns about privacy have stalled the CDC's efforts to obtain the data. A recent report by the Institute of Medicine supported the CDC's request for the records. Currently, it can take days for the CDC to find passengers exposed to diseases. Sep 6, 2005

Airlines hope hidden cameras help prevent hijacking. Two airlines have installed cameras that allow pilots to monitor the aircraft cabin and see a hijacking attempt from the cockpit. JetBlue has installed as many as four hidden cameras aboard its fleet of planes. Sun Country unveiled its camera system last month. Several other airlines have received federal grants to test similar systems. Air Transport Association spokesman John Meenan said the benefit of cameras versus the cost has not been determined, but like every security idea from the government and private sector, it needs careful evaluation before investing in it. Sep 2, 2005

Federal government sticks to new passport rules. The federal government is sticking with plans to require travelers from allied nations to present a passport or other secure document before entering the U.S. The State Department and Department of Homeland Security plan to adopt the new rule by the end of the year. However, the requirements will not affect travelers from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Bermuda and South and Central America until Dec. 31, 2006. Sep 2, 2005

FAA sees increase in planes flying too close in New York. The Federal Aviation Administration said the number of planes in the New York area flying too close together at low altitudes has increased to more than six times the national average. An FAA spokesman said 220 air traffic controllers in the area will attend a three-day training session to review safety procedures. The union representing the workers said the problems are related to understaffing. The FAA said staffing in the New York area matches traffic levels. Sep 2, 2005

Homeland Security's Chertoff to lead hurricane recovery. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff will coordinate the nation's recovery from Hurricane Katrina. The Defense Department has created Joint Task Force Katrina as an on-scene command supporting federal relief efforts. Other federal agencies are moving forward with relief efforts, including the Department of Energy, which will release oil from the nation's strategic reserve. Sep 1, 2005

Airbus waits for results of FAA inquiry on A320 nose wheels. European jetmaker Airbus acknowledged that some of its A320 planes have experienced problems with jammed nose wheels. Last week, a JetBlue A320 made an emergency landing with its nose wheels jammed at a right angles to the plane's fuselage. An Airbus spokeswoman said other incidents ended without a problem. Airbus is waiting for results of an inquiry by the Federal Aviation Administration. Sep 27, 2005

FAA, Alaska Airlines investigates MD-80 jackscrew concerns. Alaska Airlines will inspect all 26 of its MD-80 series jetliners after a media report raised concerns the planes' jackscrews may not be properly lubricated. The Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating. Three Alaska mechanics said they had found no grease on the jackscrew of an MD-83 they inspected in an overnight check Jan. 10. Lack of lubrication led to the fatal crash of Flight 271 almost six years ago. Sep 30, 2005

Feds sue American over alleged fuel leak. Federal prosecutors say American Airlines handled a fuel leak improperly and have sued the carrier for $1 million. American said it was "disappointed" that federal prosecutors have filed the complaint. The lawsuit claims an inspector alerted the pilot of a flight from Orlando to New York about fuel leaking from the wing of the plane. The complaint says American didn't note the leak in its maintenance log and continued flying the plane on 53 trips. American said Thursday that it sent a mechanic at La Guardia to inspect the wing after the plane landed. No fuel leak was found, the airline said. Sep 9, 2005

FAA expected to approve Chicago airport expansion Friday. The Federal Aviation Administration is expected on Friday to approve a plan to expand Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. The FAA will continue with a financial analysis of the project and will report on whether the economic benefits of expansion exceed the costs by the end of the year. Benefits must exceed costs for the project to receive federal funding for its first phase. Sep 29, 2005

Horseback riders improve security at Houston airport. The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks raised concerns that the perimeters of airports are not properly secured. To improve security, volunteer horseback rangers patrol the area surrounding Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport, riding on 25 miles of trails. The program has attracted horse enthusiasts who must go through training and a background check to participate. Sep 28, 2005

Will emergency landing tarnish JetBlue's image?. When cable television networks went wall-to-wall with the emergency landing of JetBlue Airways' Flight 292 at Los Angeles International Airport, it was perhaps JetBlue's first experience with negative publicity. Public relations expert Mike Paul told BusinessWeek the images of the flaming tires might be viewed negatively by consumers, but on the other hand, laudatory passenger accounts broadcast on TV conveyed the impression that JetBlue pilots were calm and capable under pressure. Sep 26, 2005

Safety records show several incidents with Airbus nose gear. Regulators and jet manufacturer Airbus consider a problem with Airbus nose gears serious enough to warrant design changes. Safety records show nine incidents of nose gears jamming in a sideways position. A similar nose gear problem forced a JetBlue Airways A320 to make an emergency landing Wednesday in Los Angeles. National Transportation Safety Board officials are investigating the incident. Sep 23, 2005

A Mandala Airlines Boeing 737-200 crashed in a crowded residential neighborhood in the city of Medan, shortly after take last Monday September 5, killing 147 people, including 30 on the ground. The airline said 13 passengers in the back of the plane survived. The plane was bound for Jakarta. Survivors said the plane's takeoff was shaky and it crashed after a flight attendant finished reading safety procedures. The airline's director said authorities are investigating the crash, which may have been caused by pilot error, mechanical failure or weather. Mandala Airlines is a Jakarta-based domestic carrier founded in 1969 by a military-run foundation. The airline operated 19 'Classic' 737 aircraft on domestic services. http://www.mandalaair.com Sep 6, 2005

Building height restrictions proposed for Phoenix. Officials in Phoenix are proposing changes to rules on how tall buildings can be in order to make flying in and out of the city's Sky Harbor International Airport safer. The changes would set a general cap of 40 stories for most buildings, however, the rules could wind up allowing taller buildings in some areas while reducing the height limit in others. Sep 21, 2005