Secure Flight was born out of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001. Initially, it was called CAPPS II but that program was scrapped due to privacy rights issues and an overall lack of focus. Reincarnated as Secure Flight, the SF program also suffered from a lack of focus but $300 million plus later, it’s finally moving forward.
The original Computer Assisted Passenger Pre-Screening Program started in 1996 after the crash of TWA 800. And up until the advent of Secure Flight, the airlines collected basic PNR data on passengers. The Secure Flight regulations (Title 49 CFR Part 1560) which came out last October, turns the responsibility of watch list matching over to the TSA. For more information on Secure Flight click here.
