FAA Proposes Inflight Video SurveillanceThe Federal Aviation Administration last month filed a notice of proposed rulemaking regarding inflight surveillance of passenger cabins on commercial aircraft. If finalized, the rule would require passenger airplanes to be equipped with a system enabling the flight crew to visually monitor the area outside the cockpit door. In addition, FAA proposed a means for flight attendants to "discreetly notify the flight crew of suspicious activity or security breaches in the cabin." The proposed changes address recommendations submitted by industry and government officials following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, including those of the International Civil Aviation Organization, the rapid-response teams created by Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta
(BTN, Sept. 24, 2001), the Aviation and Transportation Security Act and Homeland Security Act passed by the U.S. Congress in November 2001. FAA said, "there is a high probability that the benefits of this proposed rule would exceed its costs." It proposed a two-year window for the industry to evaluate various options and comply, following final adoption of the rules. FAA is soliciting public comment through Nov. 21.
U.S. Opens Skies With Mexico, ThailandThe United States and Mexico agreed to boost the number of airlines they permit to fly routes between American airports and 14 Mexican cities in an attempt to drive down the cost of flying between the two countries. U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta last month said that three airlines from each country will be allowed to serve the routes, up from two under an agreement last ratified in 1999. "Easing restrictions on air services between our countries will allow our carriers to better meet demand in this large and fast-growing aviation market," Mineta said. "We will continue to work with the Mexican government to liberalize our aviation agreement even further." Under the new agreement, three airlines from each country may fly between any U.S. city and 14 Mexican cities: Acapulco, Cancun, Cozumel, Guadalajara, Huatulco, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Loreto, Manzanillo, Mazatalan, Merida, Monterrey, Oaxaca, Puerto Vallarta and San Jose del Cabo. Previously, only two airlines from each country could operate on each U.S.-Mexico citypair. The agreement also waives limits on the number of carriers that fly between Mexico and Washington, D.C., and between Mexico and Baltimore. The agreement, which will go into effect later this year, also boosts cargo flights and allows U.S. and Mexican carriers to reach codeshare arrangements with airlines from third countries. Separately, the United States also finalized an Open Skies arrangement with Thailand, which had been in the works since April. The agreement lifts restrictions on passenger services, allowing airlines from both countries to select routes and destinations based on consumer demand, without limits on the number of carriers, flights or cities that can be served. It is the 71st Open Skies arrangement reached by U.S. officials with other governments.
Flight Attendants Sue Gov't Over Work ConditionsThe Association of Flight Attendants-CWA last month sued the Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. Department of Labor, accusing the government of ignoring hazards they claimed make the skies a dangerous place to work, from turbulence to rowdy passengers. The lawsuit, filed in Washington, D.C., charges FAA and DOL with failing to ensure "safe and healthful" working conditions as dictated by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The attendants said the government has failed to take even basic steps to improve conditions for attendants, who contend with unwieldy carts, threats of terrorism, severe changes in cabin pressure and exposure to toxic chemicals on a near-daily basis. "For 30 years, we've been trying to get the FAA to take responsibility," said AFA president Patricia Friend, in a statement. "The FAA has failed to recognize the aircraft cabin as a workplace." The suit names Labor Secretary Elaine Cho and FAA administrator Marion Blakey. FAA and DOL wouldn't comment. The union in 1990 filed a petition asking FAA to adopt OSHA safety rules, Friend said. The agency denied the petition in 1997, citing budgetary constraints and said the issue wasn't an immediate safety concern. The union seeks a court order declaring that FAA failed to meet OSHA standards and that the Secretary of Labor failed to ensure healthful working conditions.