Travel Safety & Security Update.

Questions persist about the reliability and cost of technology that would protect airliners from shoulder-launched missiles. The Air Transport Association notes that the technology deals with only one part of a broader threat, and that smarter spending can be effective against a wider array of threats. May 5, 2006

Proposal for operational limits provokes little response. A proposal by the FAA for operational limits on aircraft has generated little response from the industry. The cost of compliance with the rule is an estimated $360 million. May 3, 2006

Airports push ahead with expansion plans. Airports are pursuing expansion plans despite challenges that include turbulence in the airline industry and new guidelines from the Transportation Security Administration. General aviation and smaller airports could receive less funding for improvements. May 3, 2006

Regional carriers work to improve ramp safety. Regional airlines hope to improve ramp safety this year. Regional carriers lost hundreds of thousands of dollars because of fleet damage and personnel injuries on ramps in 2005. May 3, 2006

Travel restrictions would not combat bird flu. A British study found restricting travel is unlikely to stop the spread of the bird flu. Restrictions on air travel would delay the spread for no more than four months, the study found. May 2, 2006

TSA will not relax rules for Registered Traveler. The Transportation Security Administration will maintain strict security standards for its Registered Traveler program. The rules have prompted several airports to reconsider offering the program. May 2, 2006

TSA has not completed screener performance standards. A government report found the Transportation Security Administration has not finished performance standards for private screeners. The Department of Homeland Security would use the standards to hold airports responsible for a contractor's negligence. May 2, 2006

In an effort to make sure unsafe airplanes don't fall out of the sky over Europe, the European Union has banned 92 airlines from landing at its airports. The prohibition applies to passenger and cargo carriers from Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, Swaziland and Liberia. EU Transport Commissioner Jacques labels some of those airlines' aircraft nothing sort of, "flying coffins." The ban also applies to Ariana Afghan Airlines, North Korea's Air Koryo, and - perhaps most notably - Thailand's Phuket Airlines. A couple of carriers each from both Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan also made the infamous list. May 1, 2006

Few firms prepare for bird flu. Only 15% of U.S. companies are preparing for a possible outbreak of bird flu, according to a recent study. Companies acknowledge there is little they could do if the flu morphs into a highly contagious virus. Airline passengers could be safer on a plane than in an enclosed room because of better air circulation and filtration, according to the Air Transport Association. May 1, 2006

Study predicts FAA budget shortfall related to new system. The Federal Aviation Administration could face a large budget shortfall if the agency develops a new air transportation system while keeping the current system running, a study said. The shortfall could amount to $1 billion each year. May 1, 2006

Airbus, Armavia

Armavia said yesterday that the A320 that crashed into the Black Sea off the Russian coast Wednesday had undergone all proper maintenance checks, including an overhaul in Belgium last month. Rescue workers continued to search the sea for debris and clues to the cause of an accident that killed all 113 aboard. The black box has not been retrieved from the aircraft, which sits 500 m. below the water surface, according to Russian media reports. Heavy rain and low visibility have been offered as the accident's cause by the airline and Airbus. Armavia said it will pay victims' families $20,000 each via an insurance fund. Armavia A320 carrying 105 passengers and eight crew crashed early yesterday morning into the Black Sea about 3 mi. off the Russian coast near Sochi. All 113 aboard are believed dead as the result of the accident that occurred in what Airbus called "very poor weather conditions." Armavia, a carrier based in Yerevan, capital of Armenia, and the largest airline of that country, last week suffered the loss of an Airbus A320 and all on board. The aircraft plunged into the sea after struggling through heavy cloud and driving rain while trying to land at Sochi, a Black Sea resort in southern Russia. This is the sixth Airbus A320 fatal accident since the aircraft went into service in 1988 and will, once again, raise doubts on the 'fly by wire' control systems reaction under certain conditions and any manual override. The aircraft in question had accumulated over 28,200 flight hours in close to 14,400 flights. By the end of April, almost 2,750 A320 family aircraft had been delivered, with the number of operators reaching 175. To date, the entire fleet has accumulated some 46m flight hours in some 26m flights. The Armenian airliner coming from Yerevan reportedly missed its first approach into Sochi and was making a second approach when it lost contact with air traffic control and crashed at about 2:15 a.m. local time in a driving rainstorm. "To all appearance, not human factor but weather conditions are the cause of the crash," Armenia's leading airline said in a statement released on PanARMENIAN.Net. Russian officials dismissed terrorism as a possible cause. The aircraft, powered by CFM56-5As, began operating for Armavia in February 2004 and had accumulated more than 28,200 flight hr. in nearly 14,400 flights, according to Airbus. http://www.u8.am http://www.airbus.com May 4, 2006

Kansas City 

Security could flow a bit better at Kansas City International when modifications are complete on its checkpoints. Where needed, interior glass walls separating each checkpoint from its adjoining departure lounge are being moved farther into the lounges. That will mean more room, and faster flow. These glass walls are also being frosted. The idea is to obscure flyers' view of the screening gear, and reduce glare. Perhaps best of all, a private room is being added at each checkpoint for folks TSA pulls out of line for secondary screening. May 1, 2006

Las Vegas

Las Vegas airport says no to Registered Traveler. The Registered Traveler program may create more problems than it solves, according to some airport officials and airline consultants. Officials at Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport said they do not want to be among the first airports implementing the program. May 1, 2006

Toronto's Pearson International

A fast-track security lane is coming to Toronto's Pearson International. Verified Identity Pass Canada, Inc. has inked a deal with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority to bring its Clear program to YYZ. The registered traveler initiative, like the one that already successfully operates in Orlando, is pegged to background checks and biometrics. It essentially allows faster passage through security - not a bypass around the system. Like the Orlando initiative, which has 17,000 enrollees, there will likely be a fee involved. May 1, 2006