Aviation Security Progress Report

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Michael Fickes

Prescreening domestic and international passengers

The GAO report noted that TSA has established policies and procedures under which air carriers check all passengers against a Selectee list, which names people that require additional screening before being permitted to board and aircraft, and the No-Fly List, which identifies people who may not fly.

However, the law requires TSA to develop and implement an advanced prescreening system called SecureFlight that will enable TSA to take over the process of matching passenger information with Selectee and No-Fly lists from the airlines. Currently, DHS plans to begin parallel SecureFlight screening operations with domestic air carriers next year and to assume sole responsibility for matching passenger data against watch lists by 2010.

The GAO voiced similar concerns about delays in implementing a SecureFlight technology that will prescreen international passengers traveling to and from the United States.

Within several years, the two systems — for domestic and international prescreening — are supposed to merge and operate as one, TSA says.

The TSA e-mail also indicates that the agency is improving SecureFlight technology to provide better matching capabilities and identify known and suspected terrorists, prevent individuals on the No-Fly List from boarding an aircraft, identify individuals on the Selectee List for enhanced screening, facilitate passenger air travel and protect the privacy of individuals.

In addition, TSA is working out redress procedures for individuals who believe they have been wrongly delayed or denied boarding or entry into the United States.

Deploy new, more sophisticated checkpoint technologies

TSA is taking too long to install new checkpoint technologies that address existing vulnerabilities, said the GAO report: “…while TSA has developed and tested checkpoint technologies to address vulnerabilities that may be exploited by identified threats such as improvised explosive devices, it has not yet effectively deployed such technologies.”

In one effort in July 2006, TSA installed 97 explosives trace portal machines — called puffers because they use puffs of air to dislodge and detect trace amounts of explosives on people — at 37 airports. Problems with the operation of the machines, however, caused DHS to halt the deployment.

TSA is also developing backscatter X-Ray technology, which identifies and produces images of explosives, plastics and metals. The GAO report said that TSA has made limited progress in rolling out this technology.

The TSA e-mail responds by listing five new technologies scheduled for deployment during fiscal year 2008. These are bottled liquids scanners, whole body imagers, cast and prosthetics scanners, automated explosives detection systems for carry-on items and advanced technology screening systems for carry-on items.

Develop and implement air cargo screening technologies

According to the GAO report, TSA had yet to complete a strategic plan for domestic air cargo security or fully thought out the risk management principles to guide decisions related to screening technology for air cargo bound for the United States from international points of origination. In addition, while the agency had increased the number of domestic air cargo inspections, some cargo had been exempted from random inspections.

The GAO also pointed out that the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 gave DHS until 2010 to set up a system to screen 100 percent of cargo carried on passenger aircraft. As of October 2007, the agency had not yet developed and implemented screening technologies, a process that TSA estimated might take five to seven years.

According to the TSA e-mail, the air cargo strategy is now complete. “TSA's strategy to secure the air cargo supply chain uses a multi-layered, high-tech, threat-based approach that encompasses cooperation with the air cargo industry and other government agencies.”

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