WashingtonWire - 2004-01-19

TSA To Test CAPPS II, Prepare For Roll Out

The Transportation Security Administration plans to begin live testing of the second generation of the Computer-Assisted Passenger Prescreening System (CAPPS II) by March and begin fully implementing the system as early as this summer, according to the agency.

Under CAPPS II, traveler data provided at the time of booking will be processed through databases to verify a passenger's identity and checked against terrorist watch-lists and federal law enforcement records to determine whether a traveler is a known or suspected terrorist or has been convicted of a violent felony. TSA will use the passenger's full name, home address, home telephone number, birth date and some information about that passenger's itinerary.

TSA is requiring airlines and air travel booking companies to hand over all of their passenger records—a request that has encountered resistance from some travelers, airlines and privacy advocates. TSA said it is prepared to use a security directive or other means to require participation by airlines. "It's both in the government and airline industry's best interests to work on mutual solutions to these challenges," said TSA spokesperson Mark Hatfield. The United States already has agreements from some European carriers to obtain passenger data for the testing phase, he said.

Passengers traveling through U.S. airports will be designated a number and a color that ranks their perceived threat to aviation security. Travelers labeled "green" will be allowed access to the plane. "Yellow" coded passengers will face secondary screening and those designated as "red" will be prohibited from flying. The system should reduce significantly the number of travelers that are selected for secondary screening under the current process, Hatfield said.

CAPPS II is built upon the current CAPPS, which singles out some passengers for additional scrutiny because of certain factors, such as whether they paid cash for their tickets or purchased one-way tickets. According to TSA, the present system flags about 15 percent of passengers; CAPPS II should flag about 5 percent.

In conjunction with CAPPS II, TSA is working on a separate program to allow travelers who voluntarily undergo lengthier background checks to bypass additional security. Under the registered traveler program, also known as the Trusted Traveler program, people who submit to background checks will be issued an ID card with a biometric identifier, such as a fingerprint. Those travelers will go through the initial screenings at airports, but will not get picked for secondary screening.

Contractors, Airline To Study Missile Threat

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security this month selected two military contractors, as well as United Airlines, to study the feasibility of installing anti-missile systems on commercial aircraft to protect them from the threat of terrorists armed with shoulder-fired missiles near airports. The Bush Administration last fall announced its decision to commit $100 million to study such a system.

In addition to United, teams from Northrop Grumman and London-based BAE Systems will determine the practicality of installing these systems on airliners. Officials expect the process will take two years.

Military aircraft, including Air Force One, are equipped with anti-missile systems, and Israeli airline El Al's planes reportedly contain them as well.

Several western airlines last year shut down service to Kenya after intelligence reports suggested the possibility of a new missile attack: A missile was fired at an Israeli plane but missed. Last fall, a British arms dealer was arrested in New Jersey and charged with attempting to sell a Russian-made shoulder-fired missile to an undercover agent posing as an agent of Al Qaeda.