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02 Feb 2012 10:48

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U.S.: Size of the TSA’s infamous no-fly list doubles in a single year

  • 10,000 people on the U.S. government’s no-fly list roughly a year ago
  • 21,000 people on the no-fly list one year later; only 500 are Americans source
  • » So, what happened? After the Christmas 2009 “Underwear Bomber” incident, the TSA worked on improving the list, expanding it far beyond the initial set of names. Of note: The federal government is adding names beyond al-Qaeda, believing that the terror threat expands beyond the group behind the 2001 attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. “Both U.S. intelligence and law enforcement communities and foreign services continue to identify people who want to cause us harm, particularly in the U.S. and particularly as it relates to aviation,” said TSA head John Pistole, who has had to deal with some backlash against higher security standards in the past year.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Aug 2011 10:30

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Politics: FAA shutdown: Ray LaHood speaks up for furloughed workers

  • They talk a lot about jobs. They give good speeches about it. I want them to walk the walk. Put hard-working Americans to work so they can get a paycheck just like Congress is receiving on their vacations.
  • Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood • Offering up some harsh words on the situation with the FAA shutdown, which will likely last a more than a month due to Congress’ August recess. LaHood, a former Republican congressman, notes that “safety is not compromised” but this is mostly a labor issue. One reason this has become such a political football is that, behind the scenes, it’s a bit of a proxy battle over unions — see, the National Mediation Board made it easier for these workers to unionize, if they so choose. This was part of the reason a short-term deal got blocked — Sen. Orrin Hatch wasn’t having it. Ultimately, it’s the same thing we said yesterday — a business should pay its employees instead of squabbling over minor issues. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Aug 2011 11:45

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U.S.: With Congress in recess, political fight in Senate leaves FAA crippled

  • 4,000 FAA employees off the job due to stalemate source
  • » People are working for free to inspect airports: After financing for the Federal Aviation Administration ran out on July 23, thousands of people were put out of work, and all over a fairly minor issue that has gummed up the Senate — how (or if) to pay for a subsidy program for rural airports. But that issue isn’t going to go anywhere for at least a month, after both chambers took their August recess. We know that the debt ceiling fight was tough and took a lot out of the politicians who solved that issue, but this seems like something that should’ve been dealt with before they hit the gavel and took vacations. This is not a judicial nomination. This is airport safety we’re talking about. Some talk about running the government like a business — well, here’s a secret, guys. Businesses don’t furlough workers over a disagreement that those workers have no control over, then ask them to work for free. Businesses pay workers.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Jul 2011 17:04

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U.S.: TSA warns of implant-based bomb concealment

  • The new normal in airport security? It was announced today by the TSA that terrorists might try to surgically implant bombs into themselves to bypass airport checkpoints, a warning which seems to imply further heightening of security could be coming. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney explicitly said that the warning “does not relate to an imminent or specific threat.” That said, that a terrorist could hide a bomb in their body is fairly obvious, so whatever intelligence they’ve gleaned must be enough to drag this out of the realm of the hypothetical. The TSA has also advised international airports to tighten their security. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Jun 2011 18:04

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Biz: United Airlines dodged a bullet with their system shutdown

  • 10k number of flights canceled after a December snowstorm
  • 9k number of flights canceled after a similar January storm
  • 31 number of flights canceled due to United’s data outage Friday source
  • » That doesn’t seem like many, right? Yeah, you’re right … while there were another 105 delayed flights worldwide, the fact of the matter is, it happened on a Friday night – the best possible time for a total system shutdown. While travelers were understandably angry, it was the difference between thousands of angry people and hundreds of thousands of angry people.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Apr 2011 01:26

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U.S.: VIDEO: St. Louis Lambert Airport, when the tornado hit

  • At first, it started getting windy. A dude on his cell phone gingerly walked into the bathroom as if things were normal. Then in a moment, it became clear that this was not just any windy airport terminal, and in a moment, the airport was a wreck. Harrowing. (By the way, the tornado was the strongest in the area in 44 years.) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Apr 2011 19:32

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U.S.: Despite the tornado damage, St. Louis Lambert Airport reopens

  • today A night after St. Louis’ main airport was damaged by an apparent tornado, Lambert Airport reopened for a handful of flights.
  • tomorrow The airport plans to return to about 70 percent capacity — which is impressive considering what the facility looked like last night. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

27 Feb 2011 22:15

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U.S.: Have you traveled lately? Bad news; there’s a measles threat, guys.

  • one New Mexico woman with a possible case of measles
  • three big-city airports she went through last week after leaving London
  • 1000’s of people could’ve gotten measles from her (yikes!) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Dec 2010 08:03

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U.S.: Will the TSA’s body scans and pat-downs continue after the holidays?

  • YES because it’s “objectively safer” or something source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Dec 2010 11:01

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U.S.: San Francisco airport: That pilot’s video? That was a lunchroom

  • The video shows a door with a card swipe and suggests that access is gained to the airfield area through this door. In fact, the door shown in the video provides access only to an employee lunchroom.
  • A statement from SFO’s airport • Suggesting that the anonymous pilot who taped some videos showing the airport’s lack of security was being dishonest. The airport defends its security, saying it’s “an innovator and a trendsetter in aviation security.” So, wait … question. Why would a lunch room need security? And why, rather than simply releasing a statement, doesn’t the airport shoot video proving this? Because they could be lying, too. Some people are “truthers,” others are “birthers,” but we’re “lunchers.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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