TSA Implements Final Steps of SECURE FLIGHT effective August 15
Secure Flight is a program developed to provide uniform watch list matching by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The mission of the Secure Flight program is to enhance the security of domestic and international commercial air travel through the use of improved watch list matching to identify known and suspected terrorists.
How will Secure Flight affect passengers?
Under the Secure Flight program, passengers will be required to provide:
· Full name (as it appears on passenger’s government-issued ID)
· Date of birth
· Gender
· Redress Number (if available)
The airline you are using will send the information you provide to TSA and TSA will match it against the No Fly and Selectee watch lists. By providing this information in advance, most passengers will not experience any differences from the way they traveled before as a result of Secure Flight.
What are the benefits of Secure Flight?
TSA states that Secure Flight provides numerous benefits to the traveling public. First, Secure Flight protects sensitive watch list data. The program also enables officials to address security threats sooner, keeping air travel safer. By implementing one watch list matching system, the program provides a fair and consistent matching process across all airlines and reduces the chance of being misidentified. Secure Flight offers an improved redress process, so that those who are mistakenly matched to the watch list can avoid further problems in the future.
Protecting passenger privacy
The privacy of individuals’ information is a cornerstone of Secure Flight. TSA collects the minimum amount of personal information necessary to conduct effective watch list matching. Furthermore, personal data is collected, used, distributed, stored, and disposed of in accordance with stringent guidelines and all applicable privacy laws and regulations.
Redress – for passengers who feel they have been misidentified
Those who believe they have been mistakenly matched to a name on the watch list are invited to apply for Redress through the Department of Homeland Security Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP). Secure Flight uses the results of the redress process in its watch list matching process, thus preventing future misidentifications for passengers who may have a name that’s similar to an individual on the watch list. For more information on the redress process, visit www.dhs.gov/trip.
To learn more about Secure Flight visit www.tsa.gov.
