Security Responsibility Shifts Away From Agency
The Transportation Security
Administration (TSA) announced this week the implementation of the
Secure Flight program, which shifts pre-departure watch list
matching responsibilities from individual aircraft operators to TSA
and carries out a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission.
To date, TSA has assumed the watch list matching responsibility
for passengers on domestic commercial flights with four volunteer
aircraft operators and will add more carriers in the coming
months.
"The implementation of Secure Flight is a critical step towards
mitigating threats we know exist in our aviation system," said TSA
Acting Administrator Gale Rossides. "Secure Flight improves
security and protects passenger privacy and civil liberties by
ensuring the confidentiality of government watch list matching
protocols."
Under Secure Flight, airlines will gather a passenger's full
name, date of birth, and gender when making an airline reservation
to determine if the passenger is a match to the No Fly or Selectee
lists. By providing the additional data elements of gender and date
of birth, Secure Flight will more effectively help prevent
misidentification of passengers who have similar names to
individuals on the watch list.
In addition to addressing misidentification, Secure Flight
protects sensitive watch list data and enables officials to address
security threats sooner, keeping air travel safer. By implementing
one watch list matching system, the program provides a fair and
consistent matching process across all airlines.
TSA also stressed it "continues to provide a robust redress
process" through the Department of Homeland Security's Traveler
Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP) (www.dhs.gov/trip), a
single portal for travelers to seek redress for adverse screening
experiences and resolve possible watch list misidentification
issues.
Secure Flight uses the results of the redress process in its
watch list matching process to prevent future misidentification of
passengers who may have a name that's similar to an individual on
the watch list.
The second stage of implementation, which is expected to begin
in late 2009, will assume the watch list matching function for
passengers on international flights from US Customs and Border
Protection and international air carriers. TSA's goal is to vet 100
percent of all domestic commercial flights by early 2010 and 100
percent of all international commercials flights by the end of
2010.