US Now Requires Airlines To Check No-Fly Lists More Quickly

There's nothing like almost losing track of a terror suspect and the no-fly list almost not work at all to make the feds change things up. The Washington Post reports, "Until now, airlines have had 24 hours to check the list after they are notified that a name has been added to it through a special, expedited process that indicates a high level of potential risk. Starting Wednesday, they must check within two hours."

An unnamed official told Reuters, "As we saw with Faisal Shahzad, in an expedited no-fly nomination, the airline is responsible for manually checking the name against the no-fly list within 24 hours. In his case, the airline seemingly didn't check the name, and the suspect was allowed to purchase a ticket and obtain a boarding pass."

Emirates Airline and the U.S. government disagree on how Shahzad managed to get on the plane when he was added to the list around noon on Monday—"The company said that when the list was updated, Shahzad, who booked the flight at 6:30 [p.m.] while traveling to the airport, was not yet on the manifest. Emirates officials said they informed the government that a last-minute, one-way ticket had been reserved and paid for in cash, but got no response. Officials said they had no record of that message."

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By Jen Chung in News on May 5, 2010 3:42 PM

Comments [rss]

inoyourider

Why is it that the two lists (passengers, no-fly) don't automatically interact and pick up on matches between the two?

dadoc

The stories say they were lucky, he was a citizen, so they had his passport number. How many times do you have to show your passport at the airport? With all of the billions in our taxes being tossed into hiring the TSA circus, there's no automated crosscheck? So he was "added" to a list, sooooo beaurocracy. Isn't there some apparatus where someplace a big flashing screen pops up that says: "HEY THIS IS THE BOMBER GUY. CALL US ASAP".

PKinNYC

Emirates officials said they informed the government that a last-minute, one-way ticket had been reserved and paid for in cash, but got no response. Officials said they had no record of that message."

I call shenanigans on both parties.

ItchyGoiter

Why does any human have to actively "check" anything? Why is each person not looked up automatically and immediately as soon as the ticket is purchased?? It's 20 fucking 10.

common_tater

Emirates officials said they informed the government that a last-minute, one-way ticket had been reserved and paid for in cash, but got no response.

If your business owns a very expensive piece of equipment like, say, a large passenger jet, would your policy allow it to pull away from the terminal with a passenger aboard given these circumstances?

ProudLiberal1947

One important question does that clearance of speed have to go to the Racist Nazi Right Wing HeadQuarters first. I ask because it is this Fear and Hate Mongering party that has called for this President to fail. It is this Racist Nazi White Supremacist party that has FAILED to date to admit that this President and his staff did a good job and did not have to use Fear and Terror and the claim to WAR to justify it.

So are they going to end run the Wacko Right or is the Wacko Right still in the loop.

longacre

It seems that they might have used some very interesting methods to find this guy, methods left wingers like yourself have long claimed to be the evil tools of the Bush admin, i.e. military surveillance of American citizens.

Papercutninja

CLICHE CATCHPHRASE ANGRY STATEMENT TROLLING CATCHPHRASE RANDOM BOLD WORDS CLICHE.

See? I can do it too!

jaycjay

From the related Fox News story: "But in the wake of the close call, officials told Fox News that the TSA will pro-actively implement the new policy starting Wednesday."

Reacting to past events is not what is normally called "pro-active."