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To Boost Airport Security, IATA Advocates Passenger Profiling

IATA Advocates Passenger Profiling For Checkpoint Of The FutureThe International Air Transportation Association (IATA) unveiled its plans for the future of airport security this morning at the World Air Transport Summit in Singapore.

The new plan, which includes a “one-stop” tunnel equipped with multiple security measures, aims to make airport security less of a hassle and to allow travelers to pass through security more efficiently.

Under the IATA’s plan, future security measures will feature passenger profiling to determine potential risks.

This marks a departure from the current system that aims to find dangerous objects without distinguishing between low-risk and high-risk passengers.

Using a chip embedded in passports or other travel documents, travelers will be divided into three categories: “known travelers,” “normal,” and “enhanced security.” A retina scan will confirm the passenger identity matches passport data.

Known travelers “will have registered and gone through background checks with their government.”

Learn more about the issues travelers face in this video: Analyzing Post-9/11 Travel Safety & Security: Airports, Trains, International Hotels And Beyond

I Am The TSA Retina ScanBoth “known” and “normal” travelers would be able to pass through security checkpoints without removing their clothes or unpacking their bags. A faster and more efficient airport security experience for these types of travelers would be the likely result.

“Enhanced security” passengers would walk through a tunnel that performs a full-body scan and uses a more thorough search for explosives.

Some governments and airlines have expressed concern that this new plan relies too heavily on technology and does not put enough stock in human observation.

Interpol, the International Criminal Police Organization, an organization facilitating international police cooperation, has also expressed concern that governments might not be willing to share passenger background information with one another.

The IATA represents 230 air carriers from 118 countries and their membership comprises 93 percent of all international air traffic. They are working closely with 19 governments, including the United States, to set the international standards for the “Checkpoint of the Future.”

American organizations representing the travel industry have also called for airport security reforms: U.S. Travel Association Releases New Aviation Security Blueprint: Will Government Listen?

TSA Pat-Downs: Part Of The Checkpoint Of The Future?The IATA has appointed former Cathay Pacific executive Giovanni Bisignani as its new leader.

Starting July 1, he will be tasked with making the Checkpoint of the Future a reality within the next two to three years.

John Pistole, chief of the United States’ Transportation Security Administration (TSA), has stood up in support of the IATA’s proposed system.

Pistole has indicated that he hopes to be able to implement it within five years.

In the meantime, the TSA is working on its own security improvements independently.

The TSA’s plans also include a system that will differentiate passengers based on security risk so as to reduce needless checks as well as a system to allow frequent fliers to pass through security with minimal checks.

By Lily J. Kosner for PeterGreenberg.com.

Related Links: IATA, MSNBC, CNN, The Economist

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