For Aviation Security and Airport Management

Fixing the System

Posted on December 29, 2009 by Jeff Price • 0 Comments

As more and more news reports begin to come out about this incident, along with the inevitable “what needs fixing,” stories, let’s take a look at what really needs fixing.

The No-Fly and TIDE List

TIDE is the Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment, maintained by the National Counterterrorism Center and is a repository of information on international terrorist identities. According to a recent press report, there are about 550,000 people on the TIDE list, 14,000 on the Selectee and 4,000 on the no-fly (click here for source).

We need to continue initial efforts by TSA to clean up the no-fly and selectee list. The fact that this guy wasn’t on the no-fly list may just be an indication that he had not done enough previously to warrant being placed on the list. To screen everyone on the TIDE list however, will take more time and may potentially let the bad guys know that they are on the list. Sometimes, in law enforcement and intelligence, it’s not good to let the hunted, know they are being hunted.

Deployment of Whole Body Imagers … Continue Reading

Attempted Bombing

Posted on December 26, 2009 by Jeff Price • 3 Comments

The attempted bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 brings aviation security back to center stage. The attempt of course brings many questions back to the forefront about aviation security, questions I have addressed in this blog previously. So, let’s use an interview style to address what inevitably will be questions being asked at media outlets… Continue Reading

Security Scare Tactics

Posted on November 17, 2009 by Jeff Price • 1 Comment

Normally, I wouldn’t bother to address a media report that is obviously unbalanced and done just to evoke fear and ratings. However, sometimes you have to raise the nonsense flag, particularly when things are so skewed that they demand correction. Recently, Fox News in Denver ran a story where TSA missed 3 rolls of coins… Continue Reading

The Father, Son and Holy Ghost Hijacker

Posted on September 15, 2009 by Jeff Price • 0 Comments

Whenever there is a security incident, it compels us to evaluate our existing tactics and strategies. Recently, the hijacking in Mexico, which turned out to be one man bluffing about a bomb and claiming that he and the Holy Trinity were hijacking the plane to warn of a pending Earthquake in Mexico, has reminded us… Continue Reading

Mexico Hijacking — Could it happen here?

Posted on September 9, 2009 by Jeff Price • 0 Comments

The recent hijacking in Mexico let’s us know that it is still possible to hijack an aircraft. In fact, there have been a few attempted hijackings each year since 9/11, but we rarely hear about them. Plus, no attempts in the U.S. since 9/11 that were valid. But, the question does need to be asked.… Continue Reading

Registered Traveler on the Ropes

Posted on June 23, 2009 by Jeff Price • 2 Comments

Clear, the company that developed the Registered Traveler program in the U.S. announced today that it is ceasing operations. All Clear lanes are shutting down effective immediately.

Here was the message sent to Clear users: “At 11:00 pm PST today, Clear will cease operations. Clear’s parent company, Verified Identity Pass, Inc. has been unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor to continue operations. After today, Clear lanes will be unavailable.” Continue Reading

OIG’s New Report on general aviation security threats

Posted on June 19, 2009 by Jeff Price • 1 Comment

The Office of the Inspector General released it’s report on TSA’s Role in General Aviation Security (click here for copy). In it, the Inspector General noted that the terrorism threat posed by general aviation aircraft is “limited and mostly hypothetical…the current status of [general aviation] operations does not present a serious homeland security vulnerability requiring… Continue Reading

Some good news on the horizon?

Posted on May 28, 2009 by Jeff Price • 2 Comments

You will want to keep track of this one! The House is set to review H.R. 2200, TSA’s authorization bill. Part of the bill requires airport operators notify the Federal Security Director whenever local police are called to an aircraft or onto the airfield. Okay, so that’s another administrative step, now for the better news.… Continue Reading

Pulling the Puffers

Posted on May 22, 2009 by Jeff Price • 0 Comments

TSA made the decision to pull the puffers from screening checkpoints. Click here for the story. The question was posed to me by a local radio station as to whether the puffers, formerly known as Portal Trace Detectors, were a waste of money. My answer was: not really. It was a test of technology and… Continue Reading

PanIC-demic

Posted on May 14, 2009 by Jeff Price • 0 Comments

Okay, the PANIC-demic is over it seems. Although the actual human impact turned out to be relatively minor in nature, the Swine Flu did serve a purpose. It likely was a precursor to much more serious issues that may be coming our way. Hopefully, it provided your airport an opportunity to dust off any pandemic flu… Continue Reading