Airlines expect trouble with passenger screening program

U.S. and foreign airlines are balking at an anticipated Homeland Security Department rule for aviation security, saying it could harm international relations, disrupt travel and create more confusion for carriers.

Comment on this article in The Forum.The department is preparing to issue final regulations for the Secure Flight program, under which the Transportation Security Administration will take over the job of screening passengers for anyone on U.S. government terrorist watch lists.

TSA Administrator Kip Hawley told Congress last month that Secure Flight would begin in January, although the exact date remains unclear. Asked today if the program was on schedule for a January launch, a TSA spokesman said it would be phased in during the beginning of 2009. "Once Secure Flight is implemented, watch-list matching will be done by the government," the spokesman said. "This will provide a more uniform application, improve the passenger experience and better identify individuals that may pose a known or suspected threat to aviation."

But not so fast, the International Air Transport Association warned. The group, which represents major domestic and international carriers, expects to have serious problems with the final rule for Secure Flight, which may be issued next month. "It's just another regulation, born in the best of intentions, that DHS seems to be impervious from taking feedback on for fixing," said Ken Dunlap, IATA's director of security. "This is the perfect storm of DHS regulations."

IATA has informed TSA that most airlines will need about six months to upgrade their reservation and departure systems in order to come into compliance with the rule, Dunlap said. The rule also could disrupt how passengers, businesses and even school sports teams travel, he added. For example, many corporations and sports teams buy airline tickets in bulk days before a flight and then wait until the last hours before that flight to specify exactly who will be flying. But the anticipated Secure Flight rule is expected to require bulk buyers to give the identities and personal information of each passenger 72 hours in advance of a flight. "It's going to eliminate choices for business travelers; it's going to eliminate choices for corporations and it's going to limit flexibility for the teams," Dunlap said.

IATA also worries that Secure Flight will disrupt operations of foreign carriers by requiring passengers to be screened even if a flight does not intend to land in the United States, Dunlap added. "There's a big substory to this and, quite frankly, if TSA doesn't implement this properly they're going to harm international relations," he said.

Secure Flight also will create a data collection system that will likely be at odds with other Homeland Security data collection programs, Dunlap added. He said a top legislative priority for IATA next year will be asking the House and Senate Homeland Security committees to align the department's data collection programs.

TSA would not comment on what the airlines will be expected to do under Secure Flight. "The airlines' responsibilities will be outlined in the final rule, which we expect to be issued by the end of this year," the TSA spokesman said.