Aviation and Airport

Second part of Secure Flight is phased in beginning Saturday
Starting Saturday, some travelers will begin providing their birth date and sex when booking their airline reservations; Secure Flight aims to match passengers’ names against the government’s terrorism watch list
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Study highlights air cargo security failings
New study: “these weak spots [in air cargo security] increase the security risk of worldwide transport, which can result in the disruption of logistical processes with considerable economic losses”
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TSA conducting scanning tech evaluation
TSA tests both millimeter wave and backscatter imaging technologies to address privacy concerns; the aim is to reduce concerns about privacy while strengthening the ability to detect metallic and non-metallic threats
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TSA approves biometric security for flight crews
The Transportation Security Administration launches a pilot program that accelerates flight crew security screening in airports
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Millimeter-wave imaging comes to Cleveland, Houston airports
TSA expands its testing of millimeter wave and backscatter imaging systems, deploying them in Cleveland and Houston; TSA claims passengers’ privacy is guaranteed, but passengers can opt out of being screened and choose body pat instead
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$7.7 million in stimulus funds for airport surveillance announced
The stimulus package committed more than $3 billion for homeland security projects through DHS and GSA; of the $1 billion allocated to TSA for aviation security projects, $700 million is dedicated to screening checked baggage and $300 million is allocated for checkpoint explosives detection technology
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TSA's new lab tests new bomb detection technologies
The Transportation Security Laboratory in Atlantic City uses the latest intelligence from the military, CIA, FBI, and friendly foreign governments to manufacture improvised explosive devices like those being built by terrorists — in order to defeat them
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Arizona politician charges Napolitano uses no-fly list for political payback
Arizona state treasurer charges his name was added to DHS’s no-fly list because of his history of political fights with Janet Napolitano — former governor of Arizona and now DHS secretary; DHS denies charges
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U.S. may seek more data on people flying in from E.U.
DHS indicates that an agreement with the Spanish government on a pilot program that identifies high-risk travelers before they board aircraft bound for the United States may serve as a model for similar arrangements with other EU countries
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U.S., Spain in safer-flight agreement
The United States and Spain have formalized a program that identifies high-risk travelers Airport before they can board a flight to the United States
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U.K. Home Office makes ID card trial voluntary
Bowing to pressure, the Home Office has abandoned attempts to force workers at Manchester and London City airports to carry ID cards, opting to make the trial voluntary
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Clear to sell customer data
Clear went out of business Friday; company may sell customer data to a TSA-approved provider
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Registered Traveler program, RIP
Verified Identity Pass, which operated its Clear program in eighteen airports, shut operations at every airport early this morning
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Israeli commercial aircraft to be equipped with antimissile systems
Israeli Ministry of Transportation has selected Elbit Systems’ C-MUSIC (commercial multi-spectral infrared countermeasure) laser-based system to defend commercial aircraft against missiles
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House of Representatives increases DHS's budget by 7 percent
The bill doubles the funding for airports to purchase explosives detection systems, bringing it to $1.1 billion; the report accompanying the bill expresses concerns that many funds appropriated in earlier years have yet to be drawn down
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