1996 Autumn ACTE Quarterly: President's Message | Automated Booking Systems | Countering Terrorism

The price of airline safety is slower travel and, most likely, higher ticket prices.

One of the myriad consequences of the TWA Flight 800 disaster was a flurry of aggressive moves by the U.S. government to counter terrorist attacks on commercial aircraft.

In July, the Federal Aviation Authority ordered U.S. and foreign airlines to institute intensive screening of international passengers, an edict that also includes greater scrutiny of carry-on bags. "Figure on at least half an hour extra time for security measures at domestic airports," said an FAA spokesperson, since "congestion at security screening checkpoints may occur since more bags are being opened and searched."

The FAA order came at the same time as President Clinton created the Aviation Safety and Security Commission, headed by Vice President Al Gore. In September, the Commission recommended pumping $300 million into a comprehensive anti-terrorism plan that would place high-tech bomb-detection equipment at 50 of the US's biggest, busiest airports.

In the Meantime
Travel managers have a new resource on safety issues, a monthly bulletin that reviews air travel safety news and views around the world. Kroll Associates, a New York-based security consulting company, covers security-related incidents at airports and on airlines. A year-long subscription (available by mail, e-mail or fax) costs $195. For information: 212-593-1000.

The Commission's recommendations met with mixed reaction. Airline and airport authorities are somewhat skeptical, having lobbied long and hard for increased high-tech security measures and against having to foot the bill for them. The buzz in commercial aviation circles is that airline executives believe (and fear) that 50% of the cost of these security systems will be foisted onto them.

Air travel experts are also concerned about the feasibility of the Commission's recommendations, and wonder about the cost, practicality and usefulness of the proposed measures.

Matching all bags to passengers on domestic flights--a procedure that is already done on international flights--is a great idea, but is grossly impractical, said James C. DeLong, chairman of the Airports Council International-North America and the aviation director of Denver International Airport. But increasing the time the average departing passengers spends in the airport from the current 45 minutes to 2-3 hours, then airports will have to be three times larger than they are now.

The Travel Manager's Safety Lobby
Tired of government inaction? Some industry leaders suggest travel managers use their clout to support additional security measures when they negotiate contracts with vendors. "Our purchasing power can have a huge influence on travelers' security," said Ed Gilligan, Executive Vice President for American Express, especially if safety is viewed "as issue number one in contracts."

Civil rights organizations immediately took issue with the idea of profiling, complaining that it violates the privacy rights of travelers. But Ivan Michael Schaeffer, president of Woodside Travel Trust in Bethesda, Maryland, said, "If the cost of making the sky safe is an intrusion of very low magnitude, that's not too high a price to pay."

Who'll Pay?
While everyone seems to agree that increased security is necessary, not everyone agrees on how to pay for it. The FAA's "comprehensive security system" discussed above would cost an estimated $6 billion over 10 years. Officials say that the initial $1 billion for new airline security equipment and procedures would be part of the regular budget process, meaning it wasn't expected to require new revenue. (In other words, no new taxes.) But officials also warn that the commercial airline industry would also be expected to shoulder a significant amount of the new costs down the line--which willultimately result in higher ticket prices.

Expect to pay a bit more in ticket taxes, too. The Senate Commerce Committee was lobbied by Airports Council International-North America, which suggested that the passenger facility charge (PFC) cap of $3 should be raised to help pay for increased security.

Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-New Jersey) had a different angle, introducing legislation authorizing a ticket fee, not to exceed $4 roundtrip, to be earmarked for improved security. The fee would not replace PFCs.

Sen. Lautenberg also suggested the possibility of turning to the Defense Department and tapping its huge budget to help with anti-terrorism efforts, since, as he bluntly put it, "terrorism is a national security threat."

In the meantime, even if the omnibus anti-terrorism legislation falls through, one major funding source is likely to come through. Last month, the House overwhelmingly approved a three-year, $29.5 billion financing bill for the FAA that will allow money earmarked for "airport improvements" to be used for tightened security measures. AQ

And What About Airline Safety?
Statistically speaking, air travel is a safer form of transportation than automobile travel. Which brings up an interesting safety issue: If increased security measures mean lengthy delays at airports, more people are likely to drive, which is 10 to 20 times more dangerous than flying, according to risk analysts.