Aviation and Airport

TSA keeps list of people who forgot driver's licnese, passport at home
TSA began storing the information in late June, tracking many people who said they had forgotten their driver’s license or passport at home; the database has 16,500 records; agency says it is changing its policy on the list
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QRSciences Holdings acquires Spectrum San Diego
The acquisition will boost QRSciences’ product offering of security related applications including the detection of explosives and narcotics, metal detection and imaging
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TSA to expand regulation of private aviation
TSA plans to regualte, for the first time, the 15,000 private planes now flying with no security rules; these planes use a network of 4,700 small airports which themselves are only lightly monitored for security
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Self-healing wire to bolster avaiation safety
In 1996 an explosion downed TWA flight 800 off the shore of Long Island, killing all 230 passengers and crew; University of Dayton researcher who identified a plausible cause of the explosion has developed a self-healing wire designed such explosions in the future
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TSA may fine airlines over mistaken terrorist IDs
The ACLU says there are one million names on the DHS terrorist watch list, while TSA says there are only 400,000; whatever the exact figure is, TSA wants to make sure that the airlines do not misidentify innocent passengers as terrorists, and threatens to sue airlines which do so
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TSA testing shoe scanning technology
he Transportation Security Administration is testing show scanning machines from L2 Communications; this is a step toward eventually allowing passengers to keep their shoes on when they go through the security checkpoint
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EU publishes airlines blacklist
EU, increasingly worried about lax air travel security, bars airlines from Indonesia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, and Gabon from entering European airspace;
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New crime: Forged eye biometrics recognition stamps
How accurate is iris scanning biometric technology? read on: Three individuals are arresed at the Dubai airport for smuggling forged eye biometrics recognition stamps; the criminals’ goal: to facilitate the entry to the UAE of individuals who were previously banned
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ACLU: Terrorist Watch List hits one million names
ACLU claims terrorist watch list reached one million names; launches online watch list complaint form
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TSA: ACLU’s terrorist watch list facts and figures are a myth
The Transportation Security Administration refutes the facts and figures used by the ACLU in the latter’s claim that the list is now 1-million strong
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New device puts an end to luggage hell
Two Israelis develop an electronic tag which allows passengers “talk” with luggage as it arrives on thebaggage carousel; device can also be used to track kids and family members in a mall
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Expedited screening for flight deck crew members
TSA tests expedited flight crew screening; measure is mandated by 9/11 legislation; TSA will use trial to examine behavior detection methods
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TSA cannot achieve 100% air cargo screening by 2010
Congress has mandated that TSA must screen 50 percent of all cargo on passenger jets by February 2009 and 100 percent by August 2010; TSA says lack of technology makes this goal impossible to achieve
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Sagem Morpho shows TWIC-compliant biometric reader
Card is designed to read encrypted biometric data, such as a digital fingerprint, perform the match to the card holder, and perform an active card authentication across a contactless interface
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BAE adds to its autonomous airship portfolio
New airship, developed by Lindstrand Technologies, can carry payloads such as high-tech surveillance equipment up to 150 kg in weight to heights of more than 6,500 feet
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