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Hot Topic: "Ver are your exit papers?"  

No this is not about Air Traffic Control or about In-Flight Entertainment. It’s about travel and after Jan1 2007, leaving the USA may get harder…or become impossible. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed that all airlines, cruise ships, and private vessels be required to obtain a clearance for each passenger they propose taking into or out of the United States. In January, US citizens will need a passport to get back in from Mexico or Canada; however, permission will be pre-required from the DHS if you wish to leave regardless what passport you hold. No approval (or no answer) and you will not be permitted to leave the USA. While the DHS probably decided that the existing rule that permits manifest transmission to the DHS no later than 15 minutes after the vessel has left did not fully solve the problem. Vulnerability for mischief still existed and that a pre-approval approach solved that problem. The NPRM time period for comments has passed and DHS has yet to make a pronouncement, but travelers, airlines, civil libertarians, and those worried about stolen identity had better pay attention.

This all began in December of 2004, when the US congress passed the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, calling for the Department of Homeland Security to pen a safety procedure to prevent the possibility of individuals that they believe to have the wrong intent from flying. One problem is, it is their sole determination, done in secrecy, with no court of last resort, no review, no contest. The new policy would require airlines to submit a manifest 60 minutes before each international flight, to or from the US, to obtain the approval of the travelers onboard. No approval, no travel. While it is not our intent to subvert US security decisions, we want to advise our readers that they should be aware of the total impact of these impending regulations. Airlines will be required to collect, store and transmit passenger data beyond what is presently in a passenger’s passport. Obtaining, storing, retrieving, safeguarding and IT changes are estimated to cost airlines over $1 Billion dollars over the next 10 years. I think we can safely say that this will end last minute travel changes or possibly even impact travelers who are victims of late arrivals. What about data security? What if your passport expires overseas? What if your international flight is diverted to a US airport? Hey, what if your subject to a data error? Believe IFExpress, you have not heard the end of this.

You might want to read one of the particularly interesting and well thought out responses to the proposed rulemaking here http://hasbrouck.org/IDP/IDP-APIS-comments.pdf. Or, here is a link to one of the more interesting web-based views on this proposed ruling. It is written by a very interesting fellow named Edward Hasbrouck in his weekly Blog called The Practical Nomad…good reading http://hasbrouck.org/blog/archives/001156.html.
 

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ARINC DirectSM Cuts Distance Charges, Adds World CallingSM Plan for SKYLink VoIP Users
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Emirates and AeroMobile Calls World First For In-Flight Mobile Phone Use
11/13/2006 7:02:06 PM

AirCell Receives Exclusive FCC Air-to-Ground Broadband License
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FAA Airborne Networking
Student Operated Press
 

IFExpress is sponsored in part by:

Technology Committee Meeting
1/23/2007 - 1/24/2007

Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition
2/6/2007 - 2/7/2007

Aircraft Interiors Exp 2007
4/17/2007 - 4/19/2007

WAEA TV Market
5/21/2007 - 5/22/2007

7th Annual European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition
5/22/2007 - 5/24/2007
 

IFExpress is sponsored in part by: