Department of Homeland Security wants airlines to submit detailed passenger information 72 hours before flight

25 September 2007

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed to take over the terrorist 'watch list' screening of passengers on airlines. Since 2005, air travellers have been screened by the airlines, which match names against a master list supplied to them by DHS's Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

DHS says 2.4 million travellers a day will be affected by the rule.

In late August the DHS filed its official notice of proposed rulemaking. The move had been anticipated for some time. The airlines - which will be represented by their industry trade groups - and any other concerned parties are now required to file their comments on the proposed rule by 22 October.

Airline representatives first have to comb through the detailed, 35-page filing, which was published in the Federal Register 23 August. The devil is in the details, say industry sources.

Large domestic airlines in the US will be represented by the Washington DC-based Air Transport Association of America (ATA) to speak for them. ATA represents the major US airlines on many of the controversial issues debated on Capitol Hill.

The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) is also formulating its position. The NBTA says centralising the process could reduce the number of passengers who are mistakenly denied boarding, on suspicion of terrorist connections.