NewsRoom

8/25/2006 12:00:00 AM

Airline Safety and Convenience Can Go Hand-in-Hand


Several weeks ago, British authorities arrested 24 people in an alleged plot to blow up U.S.-bound planes using explosives disguised as common liquids. This added awareness of a liquid-explosive bomb, constructed on the plane, has led to an elevated security level and new protective measures put into place at U.S. airports. With public cooperation, authorities were able to provide this heightened level of security, specifically targeting the liquid threat. Operations to thwart terrorist plots are a reminder that protection at airports is a critical component of providing traveler safety and national security. The majority of travelers have no hidden motive and only want to get safely from Point A to Point B. To accomplish this, American security teams continue to evaluate the most effective ways to identify and neutralize potential threats. Frequent travelers will soon see the addition of a specialized security measure at a number of airports. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and private industry are beginning a program called Registered Traveler (RT). This program will provide expedited security screening for passengers who volunteer biometric and biographical information to a TSA-approved RT vendor and successfully complete a Security Threat Assessment. TSA will provide the security, defined standards, program guidance and background checks while private companies handle the marketing, enrollment, and collection of biometric data. Working with a partnership of industry and public interests, the TSA is still defining the fine points of the business model and the interoperability standards. Each airport that chooses to participate will have a high set of security and consistency requirements, but the basic setup will be the same across the country. Individuals who choose to apply will submit their name, address, phone number, and date of birth along with biometric data, including a fingerprint and/or iris scan. By evaluating a standard background check against Department of Homeland Security records, TSA will be able to verify the level of safety of the applicant. Different airports may employ different technologies and have individualized procedures that fit their business model. Essentially, a passenger who is registered and approved through the RT program would move directly to a designated checkpoint to provide biometric data. Registered travelers will go through primary screening and will not be randomly selected for secondary screening. All rules regarding prohibited items will still apply. The goal is to provide an optional convenience to frequent travelers without endangering security efforts. TSA lists several guiding principles for Registered Traveler as the program continues in development. The agency aims to ensure a self-sustaining program, provide convenience for travelers when they fly, safeguard personal privacy, encourage commerce, and enhance the protection of the traveling public. The idea for a program of this nature was authorized by Congress in the Aviation Security Act of 2001. I support the efforts by the TSA to provide targeted security, freeing up those travelers who can be safely pre-approved. This will allow for the time and energy of airport security officials to be more accurately placed. I also support the inherent right of Americans to personal privacy. I am pleased to see that the RT program is not mandatory and only voluntary to those who choose to submit their information. The Registered Traveler program was pilot-tested at five different airports in 2004. Participating airports included those in Boston, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and Reagan National in Washington, DC. After the positive feedback and general success of these programs, it was expanded to Orlando International where a full public/private partnership is in operation today. TSA expects to begin rolling out the program to ten to twenty airports within the country by the end of the year, depending on market interest. A coalition of industry, public, and government interests has been formed to fully assess the costs and benefits as well as defining the specific details of the program. Individuals who choose to register will soon be able to participate in an important program, joining the security community in adapting to changing threats at American airports. ## END ##

Joe Barton Congressman - 6th District of Texas