For Immediate Release!
April 29, 2002              

For more information, contact:
Jack Riepe, ACTE Communications
1-610-256-0124 or [email protected]

ACTE Launches Trusted Traveler Initiative at Montreal Global Conference
Montreal, Apr. 29 -- With business traveler frustration mounting over airport security, the Association of Corporate Travel Executives has launched a new "Trusted Traveler" initiative. The announcement was made by ACTE President Ron Wagner in a special press conference convened on April 29 during the association's Global Conference in Montreal. "This endeavor calls
for the creation of a voluntary passenger I.D. card that would enable frequent travelers to supply instant background checks in exchange for taking a shorter, faster-moving line through airport security," said Wagner.The Trusted Traveler initiative is part of a broader action plan (ACTE's Sense of the Industry Report) introduced by Wagner last year. "The concept of a special traveler I.D. card isn't new," said Earl Foster, former ACTE president and head of the association's Trusted Traveler initiative. "But the card concept is stalled between the secretary of transportation and the Transportation Security Administration." According to Foster, ACTE's Trusted Traveler initiative has the support of airlines, business travelers and industry.

The "Trusted Traveler" designation would be given to individuals who voluntarily undergo the scrutiny of a federal government approved background check. The basic concept is that a traveler who had undergone and passed the required background check would be issued a "smart card" by the government. This card would contain biometrics information (such as two-finger geometry,
fingerprint, or iris scan). Scanners at airport security checkpoints would verify the identity and background of the passenger instantly, enabling the screening staff to treat this individual with a pre-9/11 scrutiny."More than 200 participants registered for a seminar titled, 'Effective Security with Minimum Hassle," said Foster. "As those representing the business traveler can tell you, convenience has to become part of the traveling experience again." The Trusted Traveler Card process not only speeds up the check-in process, but also enables security resources to be focused on areas of greater likelihood.The first step in ACTE's initiative is to encourage Congress to get moving on the Trusted Traveler concept. Members are being encouraged to write or petition their elected representatives in favor of a traveler I.D. card process. The second step is to explore the best model and process for a traveler I.D. card. This would include data security, a means of upgrading data and a mechanism to defeat counterfeiting. The step calls for a thorough test.

"We believe there is widespread support for this concept. We think the technology is available. And we're putting the resources of our association at the government's disposal to set up a test," said Foster.

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Founded in 1988, the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) is a member-driven organisation wholly dedicated to the science of business travel management with an international constituency. ACTE membership totals more than 2,400, including business travel executives in Asia-Pacific, Canada, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Latin America and the United States. The organisation is headquartered in Alexandria, Va., with regional offices located in Brussels, and Singapore. ACTE's web site is www.acte.org.