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TSA’S FOUR BUSIEST TRAVEL DAYS OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON ARE ON TAP
Read more: TSA’S FOUR BUSIEST TRAVEL DAYS OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON ARE ON TAPIt’s no secret the holiday season offers several of the busiest travel days of the year. In fact, the Transportation Security Administration expects four different days over the next couple of weeks that will feature very busy airport security checkpoints along with very full planes.…
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Things Not to Bring On the Plane With You When You Fly
Read more: Things Not to Bring On the Plane With You When You FlyWith the busy holiday travel season now upon us, it’s important to remember that there are items you should take care not to bring with you in your carryon luggage when you fly. The Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, regularly updates its website and also…
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Jet Fuel Price Spikes May Prompt Rise in Airline Ticket Prices
Read more: Jet Fuel Price Spikes May Prompt Rise in Airline Ticket PricesThe holiday travel season is one of the busiest times of the year for airlines, with most planes full of passengers, and air carriers seeing nice profits. Airlines are welcoming this approaching holiday travel season, too, especially as they work to emerge from the downturn…
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Airline Industry Projected to Cut 2022 Losses by 78%
Read more: Airline Industry Projected to Cut 2022 Losses by 78%There’s no doubt that most of 2020 and all of 2021 has been brutal for the airline industry because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, industry analysts now project that the world’s air carriers will likely reduce their losses in 2022 by a whopping 78% as…
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Southwest Says Labor Shortages Could Lead to It Cutting Flights in 2022
Read more: Southwest Says Labor Shortages Could Lead to It Cutting Flights in 2022One of the negative consequences of the coronavirus pandemic is the continuing labor shortage seen in many different industries, including among airlines. This last summer saw several carriers, including Southwest Airlines, cancel flights due to a lack of staff. To adjust, airlines like Southwest are…
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Airline Debt Increases as COVID Continues to Affect Travel
Read more: Airline Debt Increases as COVID Continues to Affect TravelThe fall season is typically a time when airlines experience a drop in passenger counts. Add in that the continuing coronavirus phenomenon has also depressed travel to a sometimes great extent, and a recipe for debt accumulation on the part of airlines is evident. Lately,…
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Airline Traveler Mask Mandate Extended Into January
Read more: Airline Traveler Mask Mandate Extended Into JanuaryAs frequent air travelers know, the Transportation Security Administration has required people on airline flights and other public transportation to wear face masks, a rule meant to help limit the spread of COVID-19. The rule was due to expire on September 13th, but the federal…
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Some Airports Experiencing Jet Fuel Shortages
Read more: Some Airports Experiencing Jet Fuel ShortagesThe US airline industry has experienced a strong rebound indomestic travel this summer, and TSA’s passenger screening numbers illustratethis fact. In the last month, there have been many days of 2-plus million air travelers screened at TSA airport security checkpoints, including on August 1st,a day…
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TSA Tops 2019 Security Screening Levels for First Time Since Pandemic Began
Read more: TSA Tops 2019 Security Screening Levels for First Time Since Pandemic BeganThe Transportation Security Administration has been steadilyincreasing its daily airport passenger security screening numbers for weeksnow, and it finally hit a signal milestone last Thursday, July 1st. For the first time since the coronavirus pandemic fully took root in early March 2020, the security agency…
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Strong TSA Passenger Screening Counts Herald Rebound in Travel
Read more: Strong TSA Passenger Screening Counts Herald Rebound in TravelSummer is typically the busiest of the several air travelseasons, though the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic severely depressed such travel.However, air travel in 2021 has shown a slow but steady return to 2019 travel levels, including this current summer travel season, which unofficially began with the…
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With Passengers Returning, Will Airlines Have Enough Workers to Cope?
Read more: With Passengers Returning, Will Airlines Have Enough Workers to Cope?US airline passenger traffic – which had nosedived for much of 2020 and part of 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic – seems to be coming back at a steady rate, if security screening numbers from the Transportation Security Administration are any indication. Looking at…
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First New U.S. Airline Since 2007 Takes to the Skies
Read more: First New U.S. Airline Since 2007 Takes to the SkiesA new US airline has now taken to the skies, the first to do so since Virgin America began carrying passengers in 2007. That airline, however, was eventually bought out by Alaska Airlines in 2016, leaving the US airline industry with three major legacy airlines…
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TSA and Airlines Continue Their 2021 Rebound
Read more: TSA and Airlines Continue Their 2021 ReboundBy any definition, 2020 was the worst year for air travel since the 9/11 terror attacks, with many airlines experiencing serious financial losses because of COVID-19. At its height, the coronavirus slammed airlines’ financial health through most of that year, with negative effects still being…
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Signs of a Rebound in U.S. Air Travel Continue to Be Seen
Read more: Signs of a Rebound in U.S. Air Travel Continue to Be SeenThe Transportation Security Administration continues to see a slow but steady improvement in the number of air travelers it screens daily at its US airport checkpoints. Also, the nation’s largest non-hub air carrier, Southwest Airlines, announced last week that it’s resuming its traditional passenger boarding…
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Air Travel Picking Up as TSA Records High Passenger Screening Numbers
Read more: Air Travel Picking Up as TSA Records High Passenger Screening NumbersBy now, it’s well-known that air travel has been hit particularly hard by COVID-19, with airports, airlines and associated businesses suffering as a result. Since March 2020, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has reported daily passenger security screening counts that frequently came in at record…
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COVID-19’S IMPACT ON AIRPORTS
Read more: COVID-19’S IMPACT ON AIRPORTSWe write a lot about how strongly COVID-19 has affected the world’s airlines, but what has it done to the airports that host the planes flown by all those air carriers? To answer this question, we must first understand how essential airports are to the…
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U.S. Airlines Hit by Lowest Passenger Traffic Year Since 1984
Read more: U.S. Airlines Hit by Lowest Passenger Traffic Year Since 1984News reports the last several days have been noting US airlines’ 2020 passenger traffic numbers. Unfortunately for those carriers, none of the news was good, especially when it came to the lack of passengers flown last year, and it’s all due to the coronavirus pandemic.…
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No Good News for U.S. Airlines in 2020: Even Southwest Reports Record Loss
Read more: No Good News for U.S. Airlines in 2020: Even Southwest Reports Record LossNo one would deny that US airlines had a very tough 2020 due to the coronavirus’ impact on air travel. The country’s three legacy airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and now American Airlines – with a just reported record loss of $8.9 billion –…
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U.S. Airlines Lose Big in 2020, Expect Second-Half Rebound in 2021
Read more: U.S. Airlines Lose Big in 2020, Expect Second-Half Rebound in 2021The COVID-19 pandemic devastated the demand for air travel in 2020 and the nation’s airlines were hit hard as a result. Analysts expect 2020 net losses by air carriers to top $35 billion just in the US alone. Even Southwest Airlines will likely report an…
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Two Passengers Deploy Emergency Slide on Delta Air Lines Plane Taxiing for Takeoff
Read more: Two Passengers Deploy Emergency Slide on Delta Air Lines Plane Taxiing for TakeoffA Delta Air Lines flight taxiing for takeoff from New York’s LaGuardia airport (LGA) was halted when a man traveling on the aircraft forced open the front cabin door, causing the emergency slide to deploy. He was joined by a woman, his traveling companion, and…
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Congress Approves New $15 Billion Airline Aid Package
Read more: Congress Approves New $15 Billion Airline Aid PackageCongress just approved a new $900 billion aid package aimed at creating an economic boost as well as provide direct aid to businesses hurt by the coronavirus, including U.S. airlines. Air carriers will be able to access $15 billion in new funds and set-asides to…
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Make Your Holiday Air Travel Easier This Year
Read more: Make Your Holiday Air Travel Easier This YearEven though air travel passenger numbers are down significantly when compared to last year, all because of COVID-19, you will still likely face significant crowds at airports during this holiday season. Americans love to fly “home for the holidays” as well as head off to…
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Using TSA Screening Numbers to Predict 2020 Travel
Read more: Using TSA Screening Numbers to Predict 2020 TravelCOVID-19 cases across the country appear to be on the rise again after a period in which many states and regions saw declines as well as renewed hope for an end to anti-coronavirus travel precautions. Certainly, U.S. and global airlines were expecting a rise in…
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U.S. Airlines Report Stinging Losses. Recovery to Take Time
Read more: U.S. Airlines Report Stinging Losses. Recovery to Take TimePublicly traded US airlines have recently begun reporting their quarterly earnings and so far, the picture hasn’t been pretty, with losses in the billions of dollars being the norm due to the coronavirus pandemic. What’s worse is that such earnings shortfalls are projected to be…
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Airline Workers Have Lower Rates of COVID-19 than General Population
Read more: Airline Workers Have Lower Rates of COVID-19 than General PopulationThe coronavirus pandemic is largely responsible for the huge drop in the number of air travelers this year versus 2019’s high numbers. Fear of small, enclosed spaces – which seem to facilitate spread of the coronavirus among people – has played a big role in…
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U.S. Airlines Hope to Avoid October Furloughs
Read more: U.S. Airlines Hope to Avoid October FurloughsUS airlines, including the Big Three of Delta, United, and American, have generally finalized their planned furloughs and layoffs for October if federal aid isn’t extended or renewed. Such assistance, which many domestic air carriers have benefited from for the last several months, is scheduled…
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U.S. Airlines Preparing for End of Federal COVID-19 Aid
Read more: U.S. Airlines Preparing for End of Federal COVID-19 AidWith the end of federal support looming, US airlines are looking at ways in which to reduce the collective billions they’re losing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Measures to deal with the cash crunch brought on by reduced passenger demand include curtailing or…
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Las Vegas’ Airport Shows Slight Rebound During National Virus Fight
Read more: Las Vegas’ Airport Shows Slight Rebound During National Virus FightAs US airlines go, so go the airports that exist to serve them. When air carriers experience growth so, too, do the airports which serve them. Of course, when airlines reduce flights, layoff employees and generally hunker down to ride out tough economic times airports…
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TSA Screened Traveler Numbers Continue Slow Rebound
Read more: TSA Screened Traveler Numbers Continue Slow ReboundOn April 14, 2020 the Transportation Security Administration screened fewer than 88,000 air travelers at all its US airport security checkpoints. By contrast, on that same date the year before the federal aviation security agency screened more than 2.2 million flyers. Mid-April of this year,…
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Most U.S. Airlines Send Out Possible Fall Layoff Notices
Read more: Most U.S. Airlines Send Out Possible Fall Layoff NoticesIn keeping with federal law, many US airlines have sent letters to their employees warning them of potential layoffs in the fall. The advisory notices sent by those airlines to their workers aren’t definitive, meaning they aren’t notification of an actual layoff. However, they’re a…
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Airport Perimeter Security Isn’t “One Size Fits All”
Read more: Airport Perimeter Security Isn’t “One Size Fits All”Commercial airports often resemble small cities, and they come complete with many of the same municipal services, such as fire and police departments, seen in any other town. One big difference between an airport and a city, however, is that airports are typically protected around…
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United Warns of Massive Fall Layoffs. Who’s Next?
Read more: United Warns of Massive Fall Layoffs. Who’s Next?United Airlines (UA) this week sent out layoff warning notices to 36,000 of its employees, telling them they may be furloughed due to the ongoing collapse in air travel caused by the coronavirus. Though UA is the first U.S. airline to warn its employees they…
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Positive Signs as Some Airlines Begin Easing Capacity Restrictions
Read more: Positive Signs as Some Airlines Begin Easing Capacity RestrictionsAs the COVID-19 infection became increasingly widespread airlines around the world put into place several safety measures, including reducing passenger capacity on their planes to increase distancing. Many destinations which normally saw airliners packed full of flyers before the coronavirus appeared flew less than half…
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How COVID-19 Will Permanently Change the Way TSA Operates
Read more: How COVID-19 Will Permanently Change the Way TSA OperatesThe COVID-19 virus is remaking society in ways both large and small. Did we all shake our last hand in March, for example? How many people, now that their employers have them working from home, will be willing to endure the daily grind of a…
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TSA, US Airlines Seeing Increased Summer Travel
Read more: TSA, US Airlines Seeing Increased Summer TravelWhile no one would say that the Transportation Screening Administration’s security screening numbers have returned to near their pre-coronavirus levels, there has been a slow but steady uptick of late. For example, Sundays are always one of the heaviest travel days of the week for…
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COVID-19 Pandemic Hitting US Air Travel Hard
Read more: COVID-19 Pandemic Hitting US Air Travel HardThe current COVID-19 global pandemic has hit U.S. airlines particularly hard, forcing them to slash flight schedules and temporarily ground thousands of airliners at airports across the country. Those air carriers are also now looking at mass layoffs of thousands of employees for lack of…
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Update: TSA Sees Huge Screening Drop in the Face of COVID-19 Pandemic
Read more: Update: TSA Sees Huge Screening Drop in the Face of COVID-19 Pandemic(ed. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is driving huge reductions in people going through TSA checkpoints. For example, on April 8th, only 94,713 flyers and others were screened by TSA at its airport security checkpoints. That number also includes airport and airline ground employees and the…
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COVID-19 Impacts Global Air Travel
Read more: COVID-19 Impacts Global Air TravelGlobal air travel and the security apparatus that helps protect it have both been greatly affected by the current COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the imposition of international air travel bans and the closing of borders by the U.S. and many European and other foreign countries…
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Ensuring the Effectiveness of Landside Security: Part I
Read more: Ensuring the Effectiveness of Landside Security: Part IA good security plan for any airport encompasses a wide range of protective measures with the goal of keeping the traveling public safe, both while flying and while on the ground. A key security focus at airports should be on concourse or “landside” areas, which…
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TSA Rolled Out Improved Flyer Identity Verification Technology in February
Read more: TSA Rolled Out Improved Flyer Identity Verification Technology in FebruaryThe Transportation Security Administration continuously works to streamline and improve the security screening process and even shorten the time air travelers interact with it. TSA looks at everything from how its security officers employ the latest generation of carryon luggage examination devices to the way…
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The Evolution of Airport Security: Part III
Read more: The Evolution of Airport Security: Part IIIOperational planners for Al-Qaeda, the non-state terror organization, had for several years been looking for ways to strike a blow against the US. The group’s leader, Osama bin Laden, felt it was possible to attack the United States on its own turf and operatives for…
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The Evolution of Airport Security: Part II
Read more: The Evolution of Airport Security: Part IIThe type of airport security air travelers experience today has its beginnings in 1973. In December 1972, the Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency rule requiring US airlines to screen all passengers and carry-on baggage by metal detectors and X-ray machines or be searched by…
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The Evolution of Airport Security: Part I
Read more: The Evolution of Airport Security: Part IOne thing all airports have in common, and which all air travelers encounter to one degree or another, is security. At minimum, when you fly commercially you must allow both you and your possessions to be examined, either by some sort of electronic device or…
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How to Avoid Packing Prohibited Items in Your Luggage
Read more: How to Avoid Packing Prohibited Items in Your LuggageAccording to the Transportation Security Administration, the security agency screens approximately 4.9 million pieces of carry-on luggage daily. To screen so many bags, TSA deploys screeners at airport checkpoints nationwide and they’re all on the alert for what the agency calls “prohibited items” to make…
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Minimize Your Time at the Airport in 2020
Read more: Minimize Your Time at the Airport in 2020Many airports increasingly offer a variety of amenities such as spas and high-quality shopping and dining experiences to help travelers enjoy themselves as they wait for their flights. However, it’s safe to say most flyers aren’t too eager to spend overly long amounts of time…
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Protecting the US Aviation Ecosystem: Part III
Read more: Protecting the US Aviation Ecosystem: Part IIIThe 2018 National Strategy for Aviation Security contains a series of strategic objectives and strategic actions, all of which encompass the steps to be taken to protect the nation’s aviation ecosystem from attack. To provide robust protection, a great deal of planning on the part…
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Protecting the US Aviation Ecosystem: Part II
Read more: Protecting the US Aviation Ecosystem: Part IIAs noted in the federal government’s 2018 National Strategy for Aviation Security, or NSAS, the US has for nearly 20 years been hard at work “implementing a comprehensive and integrated approach to protecting the aviation domain.” Such an approach involves both the public and the…
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Protecting the US Aviation Ecosystem: Part I
Read more: Protecting the US Aviation Ecosystem: Part IGlobal aviation and the secure transport of people and goods around the world is vital to almost every nation’s economy, especially for countries like the United States, which is a trading nations. A good deal of the economic prosperity of the US is in fact…
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Aviation Security in 2020: Automation via Artificial Intelligence
Read more: Aviation Security in 2020: Automation via Artificial IntelligenceHistorically, physical security has lagged information technology or IT security in terms of automation of many of its processes and this is no different where aviation and airport security are concerned. But 2020 promises to be a breakout year when it comes to finally automating…
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Lessening the Stress of Going through TSA Security
Read more: Lessening the Stress of Going through TSA SecurityIf you don’t participate in TSA’s PreCheck trusted traveler program, going through one of the security agency’s checkpoints to get to your flight could take a little time, depending on the crowds. For one, non-PreCheck air travelers typically must remove their shoes, belts, jackets and…
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Aviation Security in 2020
Read more: Aviation Security in 2020By its nature, information technology, or IT, has always benefited from a host of protective measures that collectively fall under what’s called “cybersecurity.” Protecting networks from intrusion or exploitation is a prime focus of cybersecurity and the mechanisms for doing so are constantly evolving to…
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Holiday Travel: Should You Check Your Bag?
Read more: Holiday Travel: Should You Check Your Bag?Most seasoned flyers try to carry their luggage onto their flights, preferring to pack everything they can into a size-permitted rollaboard, with another piece fitting under the seat in front of them. Generally, just flying with carryon luggage is a good travel strategy, not because…
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Holiday Travel and Your TSA Experience
Read more: Holiday Travel and Your TSA ExperienceAmericans love Christmas and they especially love to visit friends and family during the holidays. This year, 2019 will be no different when it comes to our love of Christmas and New Years travel. In terms of flying somewhere, the Transportation Security Administration expects a…
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Thoughts on Air Cargo Security Screening
Read more: Thoughts on Air Cargo Security ScreeningAlmost all U.S. and foreign airlines transport cargo on their planes in addition to passengers and their carryon and checked luggage. U.S. and international air security rules and regulations dictate that any cargo carried aboard a commercial airliner must also be properly security screened before…
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December 2, 2019: Homeland Security Mulling Expanding Airport Facial Recognition to U.S. Citizens December 6, 2019: After Heavy Criticism, DHS Drops Expansion Plan
Read more: December 2, 2019: Homeland Security Mulling Expanding Airport Facial Recognition to U.S. Citizens December 6, 2019: After Heavy Criticism, DHS Drops Expansion PlanThe commentary in our December 4th post discussing the Department of Homeland Security’s December 2nd announcement that it would expand the use of facial recognition at U.S. airports and border checkpoints to include all American citizens has now been overtaken by events. Presently, only foreign…
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Homeland Security Mulling Expanding Airport Facial Recognition to U.S. Citizens
Read more: Homeland Security Mulling Expanding Airport Facial Recognition to U.S. CitizensThe use of facial recognition technology to aid in preventing terrorists from entering the U.S. through airports and border checkpoints may receive wider use by the Department of Homeland Security. While facial recognition has increasingly been used at various top American airports to screen foreign…
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Thoughts on Aiding Aviation Security Professionals in Doing Their Jobs
Read more: Thoughts on Aiding Aviation Security Professionals in Doing Their JobsHuman performance is crucial to transportation security, and technology plays a key role in helping improve it. Humans also design and maintain the security technologies they operate and, more importantly, people are required to make the final decisions whenever potential security issues are identified by…
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Thoughts on Aviation Security: Detecting Suspicious Behaviors
Read more: Thoughts on Aviation Security: Detecting Suspicious BehaviorsA Transportation Security Administration passenger screening checkpoint is probably the most visible aspect of aviation security at any given U.S. commercial airport. TSA’s efforts in preventing threats to air travelers and the planes on which they fly are also buttressed by a wide array of…
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Thoughts on Aviation Security: ‘Inattentional Blindness’
Read more: Thoughts on Aviation Security: ‘Inattentional Blindness’U.S. commercial aviation is a huge system made up of airports, airlines and a vast supporting network of suppliers, vendors, contractors and government regulatory and law enforcement agencies. Millions of travelers and thousands of cargo shippers use that system every day to fly themselves and…
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Things You May Not Know About the Transportation Security Administration
Read more: Things You May Not Know About the Transportation Security AdministrationCongress created the Transportation Security Administration not long after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 as part of a national effort to prevent such attacks from ever happening again. TSA’s predominant, and most public, role involves operating security checkpoints and performing other related duties…
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Thoughts on Airport Security Design: Checkpoint Construction Practices
Read more: Thoughts on Airport Security Design: Checkpoint Construction PracticesFor the flying public, entering a U.S. airport requires passage through a security checkpoint. Such checkpoints range in size and vary in how passengers and their carryon luggage are screened, but they all have some things in common. For one, security checkpoints are usually built…
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Some Airports Now Allowing Sightseers, Shoppers and Diners to Go Through Security
Read more: Some Airports Now Allowing Sightseers, Shoppers and Diners to Go Through SecurityThe terror attacks of 9/11 resulted in many rule changes when it came to U.S. airport security. For example, after 9/11 guests of air travelers generally weren’t allowed to accompany them past TSA security checkpoints. Instead, air travelers had to bid goodbye to their guests…
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Passive Terahertz Scanning Technology Helping Improve Transportation Security
Read more: Passive Terahertz Scanning Technology Helping Improve Transportation SecurityThe evolution of technology over the last decade is leading to more effective security sure to benefit air travelers as well as commuters using bus, rail and other mass transportation. Passive terahertz technology is but one example of the improvement evident in transportation security screening…
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The Future of Global Air Travel
Read more: The Future of Global Air TravelThe International Air Travel Association, the trade association for the world’s airlines, predicts that by 2037 some 8.2 billion air travelers will be taking to the skies. That figure represents a doubling of present-day passenger numbers. As Forbes magazine observed in an October 2018 article…
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Las Vegas Airport Site for TSA Testing of New Security Technology
Read more: Las Vegas Airport Site for TSA Testing of New Security TechnologyThe Transportation Security Administration has responsibility for screening air travelers and their carryon and checked luggage at more than 450 US airports. As well, TSA is constantly on the lookout for new security technologies to improve its capabilities and how the hundreds of millions of…
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Detroit Metropolitan Airport Latest to Receive Facial Recognition Technology
Read more: Detroit Metropolitan Airport Latest to Receive Facial Recognition TechnologyU.S. Customs and Border Patrol’s facial recognition technology program has now arrived at Detroit’s international airport. Known as ‘Simplified Arrival,’ CBP’s biometric-based system matches the faces of arriving international travelers at Detroit Metropolitan Airport against the images contained in their travel documents, enabling the agency…
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Airport Security and How it Protects the Flying Public
Read more: Airport Security and How it Protects the Flying PublicSeveral forms of aviation security exist at every commercial airport in the United States. The security most visible to air travelers is that of the TSA checkpoint through which anyone wishing to board a flight must generally pass. And though the airport security checkpoint and…
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Human and Technology Driven US Airport Security Improvements Since 9/11
Read more: Human and Technology Driven US Airport Security Improvements Since 9/11According to a 2018 report issued by the Stimson Center, a nonpartisan think tank, the US has spent at least $2.8 trillion on counterterrorism efforts since 9/11. As of 2017, the nation’s agencies charged with counterterror duties – including the State, Defense and Homeland Security…
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Taking a Risk-Based Approach to Aviation Security: Air Travelers
Read more: Taking a Risk-Based Approach to Aviation Security: Air TravelersGenerally, most air travelers proceed through security screening in the same manner, and the same screening techniques for assessing them are used with little variation among each traveler. At any given airport security checkpoint, for example, every flyer may have to pass through a metal…
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Trends in Aviation Security
Read more: Trends in Aviation SecurityAccording to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), 2017 marked the first time the number of air travelers exceeded 4 billion worldwide. This global travel figure equates to more than half the world’s population, as of April 2019, having taken to the skies in a…
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Biometrics in Airport Security
Read more: Biometrics in Airport SecurityBiometrics is a key technology that works together with artificial intelligence (AI), especially in airport security as the latter’s capabilities continue to grow. Airports around the world, in fact, are making biometrics in screening travelers an increasingly public presence. Nearly eight in 10 are now…
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Will Artificial Intelligence Improve Airport Security?
Read more: Will Artificial Intelligence Improve Airport Security?No sane person enjoys standing in an airport security line. In some cases, especially when you’re late for your flight, the wait to get through security can seem like hours or even days. And wait times to make it through airport security have indeed gone…
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Federal Judge Declares ‘Terrorist Watchlist’ Unconstitutional
Read more: Federal Judge Declares ‘Terrorist Watchlist’ UnconstitutionalA federal judge on September 4th ruled unconstitutional the government’s list of “known or suspected terrorists” – formally known as the Terrorist Screening Database. The ruling for plaintiffs, who may or may not even be on the ‘terrorist watchlist,’ was delivered by Judge Anthony Trenga…
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Mandatory ‘REAL ID’ is Coming: What it Means for Air Travelers
Read more: Mandatory ‘REAL ID’ is Coming: What it Means for Air TravelersOn October 1, 2020 your state’s standard driver’s license or ID card alone may not be good enough to get you through a Transportation Security Administration airport checkpoint and onto a domestic flight. That’s because the REAL ID Act, created by Congress and enacted in…
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U.S. Versus Israeli Aviation Security
Read more: U.S. Versus Israeli Aviation SecurityIsrael, which has experienced much terrorism, both within its borders and against its citizens around the world, is generally acknowledged to be expert in the field of aviation security. To say that Israel takes such matters seriously, especially at its airports and onboard the planes…
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Some U.S. Airports Use Private Security Screening Companies Rather Than TSA
Read more: Some U.S. Airports Use Private Security Screening Companies Rather Than TSASince the year 2002, the Transportation Security Administration has directly performed passenger security screening at most of the U.S.’s 470-plus commercial airports. However, there are currently 22 airports — including San Francisco’s and Kansas City’s — which have been allowed to participate in what the…
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It Takes TSA 252 Days to Hire a Security Screener, Among Other Problems
Read more: It Takes TSA 252 Days to Hire a Security Screener, Among Other ProblemsIn March 2019, the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general found that the Transportation Security Administration was taking far too long to hire its security screeners. On average, TSA takes 252 days to hire screeners, who are frontline employees vital to the agency’s mission. In…
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Can Pay Raises Improve TSA Screener Morale, Staffing Numbers? If So, How to Pay for It?
Read more: Can Pay Raises Improve TSA Screener Morale, Staffing Numbers? If So, How to Pay for It?According to a June 12, 2019 article in the Washington Post, Transportation Security Administration security screeners are “short-staffed, poorly paid and suffering meager morale.” What’s also worrying, is that the situation for TSA screeners (or “Transportation Security Officers,” as they’re officially known) is likely to…
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TSA Jobs Not as Attractive as They Appear
Read more: TSA Jobs Not as Attractive as They AppearWith the exception of a few larger airports (which have private security screeners), if you fly commercially in the United States you’re going to have to go through a TSA security checkpoint. To most travelers, “going through security” is a necessary evil or just a…
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TSA Experiencing Busiest Summer Travel Season Ever
Read more: TSA Experiencing Busiest Summer Travel Season EverBack in May, Transportation Security Administration leaders predicted that more than 263 million air travelers and crew members would pass through airport security this summer. Traditionally occurring from the Memorial Day weekend through the Labor Day weekend, a higher number of people fly during the…
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Border Crisis Disrupting Global Entry Program, Hitting Summer Travel
Read more: Border Crisis Disrupting Global Entry Program, Hitting Summer TravelThe flood of illegal immigrants trying to push through the nation’s southern border is beginning to negatively affect international travel by U.S. citizens upon reentry to the country. For one, U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently announced it was canceling “some” Global Entry interviews through…
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TSA Officers Face Assaults, Other Abuse
Read more: TSA Officers Face Assaults, Other AbuseTransportation Security Administration officers are the security agency’s frontline employees. They staff airport security checkpoints, screen checked luggage to ensure it’s safe to load onto commercial airliners and perform a wide variety of other security functions. Given the nature of commercial air travel and security…
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Insiders and Their Threat to Aviation Security
Read more: Insiders and Their Threat to Aviation SecurityJune 14, 1985: TWA Flight 847, a Boeing 727-200 that had begun its journey earlier in the morning in Cairo, Egypt, was hijacked after it left Athens, Greece. It was initially scheduled to fly to Rome, Italy and then Boston and, finally, San Diego in…
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Make Getting Through TSA Security Easy on Yourself
Read more: Make Getting Through TSA Security Easy on YourselfDoes anyone who flies in the U.S. look forward to going through a TSA security line? You could probably make good money in Vegas by putting all your chips on “No.” You can make the TSA security line experience easier on yourself, however, just by…
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The Insider Threat to Air Travelers
Read more: The Insider Threat to Air TravelersCommercial airports are complex environments, with many airlines and thousands of employees and travelers entering and leaving them daily, so protecting them from harm is vitally important. Unfortunately, and as history has shown, airports, airlines and the flying public are attractive targets for people and…
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Airport Security Challenges and Future Solutions: Part III
Read more: Airport Security Challenges and Future Solutions: Part IIIAirlines routinely advise passengers to arrive at least 60 minutes before their flights if they’re not checking luggage and 90 minutes if they are. Not all that time is burned getting through a Transportation Security Administration security checkpoint, but according to agency spokespersons, somewhere around…
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Airport Security Challenges and Future Solutions: Part II
Read more: Airport Security Challenges and Future Solutions: Part IITo improve the speed and flow of passengers going through its airport security screening checkpoints, the U.S.’s Transportation Security Administration has recently taken several promising steps. For one, TSA has been installing and then performance-testing what are called “automated screening lanes,” or ASLs. To date,…
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Airport Security Challenges and Future Solutions: Part I
Read more: Airport Security Challenges and Future Solutions: Part IAccording to the Statista website, commercial airlines carried an estimated 4.3 billion passengers on scheduled flights in 2018, with more than 4.5 billion people anticipated to fly in 2019. In 2009, nearly 2.5 billion passengers flew commercially, meaning airlines and airports have seen a passenger…
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Easing Your International Travel Using the Global Entry Program
Read more: Easing Your International Travel Using the Global Entry ProgramAnyone who’s ever traveled internationally and then returned to the United States no doubt has a story to tell when it comes to making their way through U.S. Customs stations. Stories abound of travelers held up in Customs, sometimes for hours, while clearing various issues…
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Partial Government Shutdown Ended
Read more: Partial Government Shutdown EndedU.S. President Donald Trump yesterday announced an end to the partial government shutdown that had seen TSA and other federal civil service employees not receive pay for the last 36 days. Ostensibly only good for the next 3 weeks – while the President and Congress…
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Tips and Tricks for a Stress-Free Travel Experience: TSA Pre✓ ®
Read more: Tips and Tricks for a Stress-Free Travel Experience: TSA Pre✓ ®Flying anywhere these days means going through some sort of government-mandated, overseen and/or operated security screening process. Anyone who’s flown on a commercial airliner in the United States since 2002 has had to pass through a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at the airport from which…
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Shutdown’s Effect on TSA Personnel
Read more: Shutdown’s Effect on TSA PersonnelThough the federal government has seen a partial shutdown for the last few weeks, employees of many of the nation’s federal security agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration, have remained on the job and primarily working without pay. This includes the thousands of uniformed TSA…
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Air Travel’s Unsung Security Heroes
Read more: Air Travel’s Unsung Security HeroesAccording to the Federal Aviation Administration, approximately 2.5 million U.S. airline passengers fly more than 43,000 commercial airline flights daily from over 440 airports across the country. All those flights are protected by transportation security, which begins screening travelers well before they even arrive at…