Alexandria, VA, July 31 - The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) regards the recent announcement by the Homeland Security Department to scale back the scope of the information it had planned to collect on airline passengers as part of the CAPPSII program as a major triumph for the traveling public and for the American idea of freedom.

"Our U.S.-based membership was overwhelmingly opposed to the entire concept and ACTE was the first professional travel association to challenge the program," said Mark Williams, ACTE President. "Travel managers across the country regarded -- and still regard -- CAPPSII as an invasion of personal privacy.

On February 28, an ACTE poll on the CAPPSII issue produced the strongest (and fastest response) from U.S. travel managers in the association's 15-year history. Eighty-two percent of respondents indicated CAPPSII was an invasion of personal privacy. Eighty percent stated this level of scrutiny was unnecessary for the purchase of a plane ticket. And 82 percent said they didn't trust the government not to use the information for other purposes. Sixty-four percent also stated they thought CAPPSII would be one more element that would discourage air travel at a critical time for the airlines.

"Travel managers were especially disturbed at the lack of information regarding the CAPPSII program. And the few answers we received to the questions we asked were less than reassuring," said Williams. "For example, the government repeatedly stated information collected by CAPPSII would not be saved beyond the instant check. Yet according to their most recent statement, they could have held the information for 50 years!"

Williams added that "great concern" had been expressed over whether passengers could get arrested at the airport for outstanding warrants on parking tickets, family court issues, or financial matters (all items that would and will surface as CAPPSII automatically scans criminal, financial, and other records in determining who might be a terrorist).

"And that concern appears to have been well placed, as the new proposal for CAPPSII claims it will limit arrests to warrants for violent crimes," said Williams. "I'm gratified that the Homeland Security Department is taking our objections to privacy incursions seriously, but it's time they reconciled projects within their own department. The Registered Traveler Program was initially intended to provide the government with all of this information -- on a voluntary basis -- to reduce the number of frequent travelers who had to bear close scrutiny. That project is still moving forward. Why? What more information could be provided voluntarily than will be unearthed by CAPPSII?

"A lot of time is being spent on CAPPSII," said Williams, "a system that will investigate a greater number of US citizens far more thoroughly than foreign nationals. Yet at that same time, the number of sky marshals is dropping. Security gate screeners are being laid off. There is virtually no process for screening air cargo. And airport runways remain unguarded against attack by shoulder-fired missiles from passing automobile and truck traffic. Where are the priorities?"

For more information, contact:

Jack Riepe
Communications Director
Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE)
t: 610.719.8396
f: 610.719.8397
e: riepeacte.aol.com