WASHINGTON — Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced Tuesday that 100 percent of passengers on flights within or bound for the U.S. are now being checked against government watchlists, fulfilling a key 9/11 Commission recommendation a month ahead of schedule.
A Homeland Security press release said that Transportation Security Administration reached 100 percent watch list matching for all domestic airlines on June 22.
Under the program called “Secure Flight”, the TSA now prescreens a passenger name, date of birth and gender against terrorist watchlists before passengers receive their boarding passes. Previously, airlines did the screening.
Authorities said the program also helps prevent passengers from being mistaken for those on the watchlist who have similar names.
“Secure Flight makes air travel safer for everyone by screening every passenger against the latest intelligence before a boarding pass is issued,” Napolitano said.
“The threats we face in the aviation sector are real and evolving, and we must confront them with strong and dynamic security measures,” added TSA Administrator John S. Pistole. “Secure Flight bolsters our efforts to be more intelligence-driven and risk-based in our approach to aviation security.”
