U.S. Anti-Terrorist Activities: U.S. Customs Warns International Airlines
November 30, 2001
U.S. Customs Commissioner has warned 58 international airlines that they will
be subject to heightened inspections if they do not immediately turn over
advance lists of passengers to be screened for possible terrorists. A new law,
the Advance Passenger Information System, gives the airlines until early 2002 to
start providing the information, but Commissioner Bonner is urging immediate
compliance. Many international airlines already voluntarily offer the
information to Customs, which currently has access to about 85 percent of
international flight passenger information. Airlines not in compliance as of
November 21, 2001, included Aeroflot Russian Airlines, Air China, and Pakistan
International Airlines. The heightened scrutiny would result in the inspection
of all hand-carried and checked baggage arriving into the United States on all
flights of non-compliant airlines.