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Aviation Security: TSA Is Enhancing Its Oversight of Air Carrier Efforts to Identify Passengers on the No Fly and Selectee Lists, but Expects Ultimate Solution to Be Implementation of Secure Flight

GAO-08-992 Published: Sep 09, 2008. Publicly Released: Sep 09, 2008.
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Highlights

Air carriers remain a front-line defense against acts of terrorism that target the nation's civil aviation system. A key responsibility of air carriers is to check passengers' names against terrorist watch-list records to identify persons who should be prevented from boarding (the No Fly List) or who should undergo additional security scrutiny (the Selectee List). Eventually, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is to assume this responsibility through its Secure Flight program. However, due to program delays, air carriers retain this role. You asked GAO to review domestic air carriers' watch-list-matching processes. GAO examined (1) the watch-list-matching requirements air carriers must follow that have been established by TSA, and (2) the extent to which TSA has assessed air carriers' compliance with these requirements. GAO reviewed TSA's security directives, internal guidance used by TSA's inspectors to assess air carriers' compliance with requirements, and inspection results, as well as interviewed staff from 14 of 95 domestic air carriers (selected to reflect a range in operational sizes). This report is the public version of a restricted report (GAO-08-453SU) issued in July 2008.

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Air transportationAirport securityAviation securityCommercial aviationCounterterrorismData collectionData integrityDatabasesHomeland securityInspectionInternal controlsPassenger screeningPassengersProgram evaluationProgram managementRecordsReporting requirementsRisk assessmentRisk managementSchedule slippagesSecure flightSecurity assessmentsSecurity policiesSecurity threatsTerrorismTransportation securityProgram goals or objectives