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TSA launches news airport airside and perimeter security
Billions of dollars have been invested in — and strict regulations promulgated for — passenger and baggage screening to prevent explosives from being taken on board; very little money has been invested in and no specific mandates imposed regarding airport perimeter security; TSA is changing this — and also takes the next essential step: coordination among the different money bodies involved in airport perimeter security
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DHS experiments with testing planes for radioactive cargo
In an effort to prevent terrorists from bringing radioactive materials into the United States on planes, DHS engages in 4-month, $4 million test to see whether the government’s radiation-detection equipment can pick up depleted uranium and other radioactive material hidden aboard passenger planes
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OMG helps UAVs see as human pilots do
Northrop Grumman tests Oxford Metrics Group’s software which make UAVs “see” things the way a human pilot would
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Problem for New Zealand aviation: Laser attacks
Kiwi aviation authorities are worried about a plague of laser attacks on planes coming in for landing at the country’s airports — especially the very busy Wellington facility; laser emiiters are more powerful now and more readily available, and bathing the cockpit with green laser beam my temporarily blind pilots as they approach the airport
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U.K. governmet report reveals incidents of toxic fumes on planes
Pilots had to wear emergency oxygen masks in flight due to toxic fumes; last year 116 “contaminated air events” reported to the Civil Aviation Authority
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Smiths Detection in $25 million TSA contract
The Transportation Security Administration awards Smiths Detection a $25 million follow-on contract for the company’s Advanced Threat Identification X-Ray (aTiX) systems
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Airlines buy plane spare parts on line
More questions about airline safety: Not only do many U.S. airlines have maintenance work on their planes done by abroad in shops which are not properly inspected by the FAA — many also buy spare parts on-line from suplliers not inspected ar approved by the FAA; some airlines buy spare parts on Craigslist
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Airlines may be forced to fit antiterror cameras in seats
The EU moves across a broad front to increase air travel safety; airlines will be forced to install spy-in-the-cabin cameras and increase the use of biometrics technology for passenger identification
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DHS launches 3 transportation initiatives
The Global Entry pilot program, the Passenger Service Program, and an expanded Model Ports Initiative, intended to strengthen customer service at U.S. ports of entry
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Electronic pre-registration for Visa Waiver travelers
DHS says that beginning 1 January 2009, passengers traveling to the United States from Visa Waiver Program countries will have to register online at least 72-hours before embarking on their trip; critics see problems
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In-flight surveillance could foil terrorists in the sky
Big Brother comes to the skies: EU-funded aviation security system uses a camera in every passenger’s seat, with six wide-angle cameras to survey the aisles; software on the computer to which the cameras are connected detects suspicious behavior of passengers — from air rage to terrorist intent
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Bluetooth-based traffic tracking system
Bluetooth-based traffic tracking system would provide information on the speed of the morning commute — or the sluggishness of airport security lines
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Pilot sees flaming object near Houston
Continental Airline’s pilot sees an object with a flaming tail and a trail of smoke flying near his plane on approach to Houston, Texas; FBI suspects a model rocket
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Self-repairing aircraft may revolutionize aviation safety
A new technique which mimics healing processes found in nature could enable damaged aircraft to mend themselves automatically — even during a flight
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Developing biofuel for commercial aircraft
The airline industry seeks to develop non-food biofuel which will offer aircraft cheaper fuel without affecting global food supplies
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The long view
New Technology is Keeping the Skies Safe
DHS S&T Baggage, Cargo, and People Screening (BCP) Program develops state-of-the-art screening solutions to help secure airspace, communities, and borders