Aviation and Airport

FLO completes $7.1 million financing
As airports grow more crowded and security lines lengthen, there is money to be made in whisking passengers past airport hassles; FLO offers registered traveler solutions, and investors show interest
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Facial recognition scans to be deployed in U.K. this summer
U.K. government plans to deploy facial recognition scanners at U.K. airport this summer; scanner will allow for automatic security checks at gates
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Indonesia runs airport bird flu drill
Indonesia is the nation worst hit by the bird flu so far, with 107 dead since the first human case appeared here in 2005; authorities run a bird flu detection drill at the Bali airport
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Travelers uneasy about new airport security device
Scanner can see through clothing to search for concealed weapons; travelers have diverse opinions about its use
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Safety in (random) numbers
USC researchers posit that a key to airport security is making security unpredictable (from the point of view of a potential terrorist); there is a difference between merely mixing things up and making police operations truly, systematically random
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Millimeter wave scanners to be deployed at JFK, LAX
At JFK, passengers sent to secondary screening will be given the option of a pat-down or a trip through the body imager; at LAX, the millimeter wave machine will be located just beyond the checkpoint magnetometers
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Behavioral observation program questioned
TSDA has been training security officers in behavioral observation, then placed them in major U.S. airports to observe passengers and note suspicious behavior; in the past four years, 104,000 passengers were pulled out of line to answer to more serious security measures, but fewer than 700 were arrested – all on criminal, rather than terror, charges; critics are not sure the $45 million annual tab is justified
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Kinder, gentler security checkpoints
TSA wants to try a new approach to airport security checkpoints: Mauve lights glowing softly, soothing music hums, smiling employees offer quiet greetings and assistance
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Israeli carriers on high alert
Number of security guards on flights boosted, helicopters escort takeoffs and arrivals in several airports worldwide for fear of missile launching; fear of Hezbollah’s attack
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EU drops border security controls with 9 more countries
Nine more countries enter the Schengen area as of Sunday; air border checks will no longer be necessary for European passengers to go to of from these new area members
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JFK now requires 10 fingerprints from visitors
New York’s JFK joins a list of other U.S. airports now requiring non-U.S. citizens to submit ten fingerprints; on a typical day, JFK sees almost 14,400 international visitors complete US‑VISIT biometric procedures
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Company profile: Brijot Imaging Systems
One of the promised benefits of millimeter wave technology is its ability to scan from distance making it particularly attractive in areas where human traffic is a problem for traditional screening methods
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Israel begins outfitting airliners with flare anti-missile systems
After fits and starts, Israel will outfit passengers planes with home-made flare-based defensive systems; new flares consume themselves in the air so there is less of a risk of igniting fires on the ground
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Suspicious behavior at Jacksonville airport would get more attention
TSA and other aviation security agencies put more emphasis on detecting suspicious behavior at airports as the first line of defense against terrorism; a Florida airport deploys behavioral observation officers
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Pencilbeam X-ray technology for more effective luggage inspection
New luggage screening technology investigates suspicious material by penetrating the luggage with a pencilbeam X-ray; new approach reduces instances of false alarms
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