Travel Safety & Security Update.

TSA did not get vital security equipment from contract, report says. The Transportation Security Administration did not get the critical equipment expected from a $1 billion contract with Unisys, a government report found. The inspector general of the Homeland Security Department is recommending the TSA re-bid the contract. Mar 31, 2006

U.S. should take shoulder-fired missiles seriously. The threat of shoulder-fired missiles to commercial aircraft is one that should be taken seriously, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said. Experts say it would cost $11 billion to install one laser jammer on each U.S. commercial jetliner. Chertoff said distributing the cost of such a system is a "fairly complicated economic question." Mar 31, 2006

The debate on threat of shoulder-fired missiles continues. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says the threat of shoulder-fired missiles to commercial aircraft should be taken seriously, however, experts question where the threat "racks and stacks" with other threats. Air Transport Association Executive Vice President John Meenan said, "[MANPADs] has been much more driven by vendors interested in selling systems, without any real regard to where that stands in regards to the priority of the threat." The 10-year life-cycle is estimated to range from $25 to $40 billion. Mar 31, 2006

TSA did not get vital security equipment from contract, report says. The Transportation Security Administration did not get the critical equipment expected from a $1 billion contract with Unisys, a government report found. The inspector general of the Homeland Security Department is recommending the TSA re-bid the contract. Mar 31, 2006

High turnover at DHS could affect safety. Top managers and employees are leaving the Department of Homeland Security, and some experts say the mass departures could affect the nation's safety. "It can't help morale for the rank-and-file employees when you have so much turnover," says Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss. "There just appears to be a continuous brain drain out of the agency." Mar 30, 2006

FAA investigates possible runway safety breach. The FAA is investigating a possible safety breach involving two commercial planes Sunday at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Officials are trying to determine whether two planes that were preparing for takeoff got closer than allowed under federal rules. An FAA spokesman said the planes got no closer than 1,100 feet from each other. Mar 30, 2006

Chile is the first nation to make the IATA Operational Safety Audit a condition of its airline certification process, IATA said yesterday. At present, 150 airlines representing 70% of scheduled international traffic have completed or are scheduled to complete the IOSA process. All IATA carriers must be IOSA-certified by the end of 2007. "The decision of the government of Chile is a model for how industry can work with governments at the national level by using IOSA as a requirement for airline operators," IATA DG and CEO Giovanni Bisignani said. Mar 30, 2006

Close calls at O'Hare send a message. The large volume of traffic at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, combined with its straight, intersecting runways presents a threat of collision, ABC's John Nance writes. Two close calls at the airport last week indicate airport officials should consider changing the way takeoffs and landings are handled, Nance says. Mar 29, 2006

Senators support stronger port security. The U.S. must quickly strengthen security at its entry points, lawmakers said. The disclosure that undercover investigators slipped nuclear materials into the U.S. revealed gaps in port security, the lawmakers said. Mar 29, 2006

US FAA officials arrived in Caracas last weekend to inspect Venezuela's aviation safety standards and discuss the proposed reduction of US services to the South American country. According to press reports, Infrastructure Minister Ramon Carrizalez, told reporters that "the government has shown willingness to temporarily suspend the measure, depending on the atmosphere during the talks. We are here to discuss this and the aviation authorities are going to verify we are in compliance." Mar 29, 2006

TSA hires part-time workers for security posts. The Transportation Security Administration has shifted to hiring part-time workers to staff airport security checkpoints. Budget cuts forced the TSA to reduce the number of full-time workers. Mar 28, 2006

Two planes abort takeoffs to avoid collisions at O'Hare. The Federal Aviation Administration said two planes aborted their takeoffs last week at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to avoid colliding with other jetliners. An FAA spokesman said such incidents are "extremely rare." "We have gone an entire year without having a serious incident like that at any U.S. airport," he said. Mar 27, 2006

Airbus

NTSB urges inspection of Airbus A300 rudders for disbonding. The US National Transportation Safety Board on Friday urged FAA to order immediate inspections of the inner skin of the composite rudder surfaces of certain A300 series aircraft in order potentially to avert the possibility of "a catastrophic failure of the rudder," NTSB Acting Chairman Mark Rosenker said in a statement. Investigators in the U.S. and Canada are asking Airbus to establish regular inspections of the rudders on its A300 jetliners. Hydraulic fuel recently caused internal damage and weakened the rudder of a FedEx cargo plane. There are about 400 wide-body A300s operated worldwide. Mar 27, 2006

Airbus, Inter-Safe

Inter-Safe, a subsidiary of Aero Maintenance Group, announced FAA certification of its A320 and 737 emergency escape slide repair facility in Miami. Mar 28, 2006

American Airlines

An American Airlines flight bound for Chicago experienced engine trouble after lifting off from LaGuardia Airport on Thursday and was forced to make an emergency landing in New Jersey. The jet touched down safely at Newark Liberty International Airport just past noon. No one aboard was injured. The pilot made the landing with power from just one engine after the second one was shut down following an apparent malfunction, aviation and airline officials said. Mar 30, 2006

Bombardier

NTSB issues recommendations for Bombardier cockpits. The National Transportation Safety Board recommended changes to prevent the loss of electronic cockpit displays in some Bombardier regional jets. The planes have experienced six fires in the past six months. Mar 31, 2006

Houston Airport

Volunteers contribute to airport security. The Houston Airport Rangers, a group of 800 volunteers on horseback, patrol the perimeter of George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Other airports are using volunteers to boost security. Officials in Boston have asked clammers to test technology that controls access to airport perimeters. Mar 27, 2006

Moscow Domodedovo

Moscow's Domodedovo Airport, the home of British Airways for the Russian capital, has passed an audit by the US Transportation Security Administration that it fully complies with the ICAO requirements. The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was created in response to the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, as part of the legislative measures introduced by President George W. Bush after the tragic events. TSA was originally in the Department of Transportation but was moved to the Department of Homeland Security in March 2003. The assessment panel that conducted the audit at the airport used ICAO's Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs). http://www.domodedovo.ru Apr 2, 2006