Travel Safety & Security Update.

Travel safety is of vital importance. Lonely Planet and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) have launched a guidebook titled "Travel Safe: Know Before You Go" as part of a government initiative to educate travelers. Produced by Lonely Planet for the FCO, the guidebook aims to help British travelers be prepared for common problems and dangers abroad and contains a directory of British embassies and consulates in key destinations. Lonely Planet is also assisting the FCO in the distribution and marketing of the free guide, a first for a travel publisher. Visit the FCO travel website before you go. It is also the place to order the book, courtesy HMG. http://www.fco.gov.uk/travel Feb 19, 2006

Congress may reject airline tax, lawmaker says. Congress is unlikely to pass a tax increase on air travel this year, Rep. Harold Rogers, R-Ky., said. Rogers is chairman of the House subcommittee overseeing Homeland Security spending. The Transportation Security Administration has asked lawmakers to raise the security tax paid by travelers to $5 for a one-way nonstop ticket. Feb 17, 2006

Officials investigate laser beams at Detroit airport. The Federal Aviation Administration has received 16 reports of people shining laser beams at planes landing at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Laser beams can disorient pilots. The federal government will start cracking down on people who shine the beams, and officials note shining beams at airplanes may be considered a terrorist act. Feb 16, 2006

Getting off no-fly list a time consuming task. An innocent traveler who mistakenly ends up with their name on the no-fly list will have a hard time getting it removed, New York Times columnist Joe Sharkey writes. To get off the list, a traveler must submit notarized copies of birth certificates and other documents. Thirty thousand people on the lists have attempted to get off, officials said. Feb 16, 2006

Air cargo probe now includes more than a dozen carriers. Authorities have contacted or visited the offices of more than a dozen airlines as they investigate alleged price-fixing in the air cargo industry. The European Commission, U.S. Department of Justice and FBI declined to provide more details on the probe. Feb 16, 2006

Suspected terrorist list swells to 325,000. The National Counterterrorism Center's list of terrorism suspects and people who allegedly help them has grown to include 325,000 names, the Washington Post reports. A single person may be listed several times, under different names or spellings, so the true number on the list is estimated at 200,000. U.S. citizens comprise a small fraction of the number, authorities say. Critics say the large size of the list indicates that it may contain the names of innocent people. Feb 15, 2006

Authorities raid cargo airlines in price-fixing probe. The European Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday raided cargo airlines in Europe and the U.S. searching for evidence of a price-fixing cartel. On Wednesday, the probe expanded to Asia, and authorities searched for information at Japanese, South Korean and Hong Kong carriers. The probe could affect the global air cargo market. Boeing has predicted that the market will grow 6.2% annually for the next 20 years. Feb 15, 2006

U.K. investigates air pumped into cabins. The U.K. is investigating whether fresh air pumped into commercial jetliners threatens the crew and passengers. The fresh air enters the plane through the engine. It passes through an air conditioning system and then enters the cabin. The British Airline Pilots Association says polluted air has caused some staff to become sick. Feb 14, 2006

Two air marshals arrested for drug smuggling. Federal authorities have charged two air marshals with drug smuggling. The marshals allegedly bypassed security and smuggled cocaine onto a flight. They were arrested by Department of Homeland Security and FBI agents Feb. 9. Feb 14, 2006

Report studies threat of smoke, fire in jetliners. Smoke and fire affect about 1,000 commercial flights a year and pose a greater threat to air travel than many travelers think, according to new data released by the International Air Transport Association. The report says changes in airplane design, maintenance and pilot training are needed to reduce the threat of fire. Feb 13, 2006

Higher security fees face opposition. The White House is facing stiff opposition to its proposal to increase airline security fees. Air Transport Association President and CEO James May believes Congress will reject the proposal, which would boost taxes paid by airline passengers for security screenings to $5. Feb 13, 2006

Boeing

Boeing may land FAA flight trial contract. The Federal Aviation Administration may soon award an air traffic management contract to Boeing. Under the program, dubbed the Global Air Traffic Interoperability project, Boeing would demonstrate new procedures on transatlantic flights. Feb 16, 2006

El Al

El Al adds antimissile system to fleet. El Al Israel Airlines has equipped all of its jets with antimissile systems. The airline is the first to install the systems on its entire fleet. Some carriers believe the systems are too expensive and unreliable. The White House has encouraged studies of the systems but may instead support missile defense systems for airports. Feb 17, 2006