Passengers Bound for the U.S. Are Wheels Up by the Time DHS Checks Watch

[sabra]

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/08/passengers_boun.html

Passengers Bound for the U.S. Are Wheels Up by the Time DHS Checks Watch Lists

Airplanes bound for the U.S. from the U.K. and Europe are still not required to submit their passenger information to the Department of Homeland Security until they are wheels up and in the air.

That policy was changed temporarily in the wake of the heightened security alert and since last week all passengers on all flights from Britain to the U.S. were pre-matched to DHS terrorist watch lists before the planes took off. Now, there is a significant move to keep it that way.

"It shouldn't take an imminent terrorist attack and a Code Red alert to ensure that no international flight takes off for a U.S. airport before the terrorist watch list has been checked," said Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA).

...

The proposal is currently in the 30-day public comments stage and then will be reviewed before a change in the regulation is made.

"The rule should be: 'No wheels up until the no-fly list has been checked off,'" said Rep. Markey. He called DHS's recent effort to rewrite the rule "long overdue."

[dipsydoodle]

1. I could be wrong

but I was under the impression that the EEC had effectively blocked provision of that information, prior to take off ,some months ago. Perhaps Mr Markey would prefer to see a complete end to trans Atlantic air traffic. The drive round the opposite way and then a boat across the Bering Staits is rather an arduous alternative but it would help cut back on airline contribution to global warming in the long term.