(Above headline best read in a sneering German accent.)
The airline industry, faced with paying zillions of dollars on added security, wants the Feds to instead run a massive de facto national ID system, complete with background checks and screening (and “fast pass” lanes).
Under the Air Transport Assn. proposal, all reservations would be checked against a new government database that would include arrest records, intelligence information, immigration files and financial data. This master database, constantly updated, would be used to identify individuals who merit closer screening at the airport.
The industry also proposed a “trusted traveler” identification card, which would be issued to prescreened passengers willing to undergo extensive personal background checks. These travelers would be sent to airport checkpoints with less intensive screening, allowing them fewer delays.
And this, they think, will encourage people to fly more?
(Via Follow Me Home)