Press Release

For Immediate Release
21 September 2007

ACTE Raises Serious Concerns About Secure Flight Program In Commentary To DHS/TSA

Alexandria, VA -- The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) has serious concerns regarding the most current version of the Secure Flight program as proposed by the Transportation Safety Administration and the Department of Homeland Security. In commentary sent to the TSA on September 20, 2007 ACTE leadership stated that the newest version of Secure Flight seems to answer some procedural questions, but raises more serious issues regarding data base content, storage, and access.

"ACTE questioned the effectiveness of CAPPS II (Computer Assisted Passenger Pre-Screening System) the first version of Secure Flight, and the Automatic Targeting System (ATS), when they were all introduced," said Gurley, "from the standpoint of what each could cost the industry in delays and false positives. While a few of our initial questions appear to have been addressed, the industry needs specific details on some critical aspects of this program."

ACTE was originally opposed to any system that could instantly deny passenger access to a flight without some kind of redress. The association had hoped the redress program would be speedy, fairly automatic, and provide those selected for investigation with the opportunity to correct faulty data base information.

There is no information on the effectiveness of the DHS TRIPS program, which was designed to provide passengers with security issue resolution. ACTE also has questions about the security of information collected by the Secure Flight program. A recent Government Accountability Office report claims the DHS has met fewer than half of the 171 goals the agency set for itself. The same report said the improvements in areas like airport security are actually lagging. ACTE leadership wants to know how the Secure Flight program will fill that performance gap.

The Automatic Targeting System was never fully explained nor dismantled. ACTE leadership wants to know if and how the ATS factors in the new program. Less than a year ago, it was announced that the government was working on a new database that would be exempt from certain provisions of the Privacy Act. ACTE leadership is questioning if that database, or any part thereof, now constitutes a new measure of identity for Secure Flight, and if so, is that data now inaccessible to travelers.

"On the surface, the new Secure Flight program no longer relies on commercial data bases and appears to have reduced the number of names on the "No Fly" list," said Executive Director Susan Gurley. "It also seems that the responsibility for checking data is no longer abrogated to the airlines. While this is a step in the right direction, it prompts the industry to ask what was the origin of this new data, how is it stored, who has access to it, and how can it be corrected. And the public needs to know that it is only the data required to establish identity."

Susan Gurley added that ACTE would be delighted to provide the DHS and the TSA with a platform to answer those questions at the association's Global Education Conference in Munich, October 21 - 23, 2007.


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