Travel Security News Update

iJET Travel Risk Management has signed a partnership with a Swedish commercial intelligence and security company, Infosphere AB. Infosphere will provide local representation and support for iJET's travel alerts in northern Europe. iJET offers real-time intelligence and travel risk management to corporations and their employees who travel. iJET CEO Bruce McIndoe says, "We're excited to build on the solid footprint we've established internationally. We're very pleased to continue our expansion into Europe."

iJET Travel Risk Management, which delivers real-time travel and security information to corporate travel managers and travelers, is now giving customers mobile access to its emergency response center. Travelers can use the system "virtually" anywhere on the planet via satellite networks, or in more than 150 countries through a cell phone. iJET is using Roadpost Inc. to preprogram each phone to receive itinerary-specific intelligence and to open a direct line, if needed, with iJET's 24-hour response center. Cell phone users will see travel alerts and be able to communicate in the event of an emergency.

Armed air marshals will begin boarding Qantas flights between Australia and Singapore within days and flights to the United States could be added to the list early next year, the Australian government said Dec. 26 2003.

UK Transport Secretary Alistair Darling said a "gold standard" protocol governing the use of sky marshals will be drawn up to address the opposition to armed security on flights to the US. He called for urgent submissions from the aviation industry after a meeting with the British Airline Pilots Assn. the week of Jan. 6 2004. He added that he will "take a lead across Europe" on the issue despite differing views. The governments of Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Portugal have rejected US demands for armed marshals, but France and Germany said they have been carrying them for some time. BALPA stated that although it has "secured procedures with one operator [Virgin Atlantic], it wanted an 'industry standard,'" and if possible international standards. "BALPA believes the international consensus is needed to improve security, not unilateral action by one state irrespective of the cultures, traditions and security record of others," it said in a statement on its website. It reiterated its view that it does "not support armed sky marshals although, as professionals, we will work to make their deployment as risk-free as possible.

The Department of Homeland Security intends to move forward with a system that will give it access to personal information of U.S. airline passengers, possibly as early as this summer. But just last week Northwest, and late last year JetBlue, were publicly criticized for sharing passenger information with the government without a passenger's knowledge. The Computer-Assisted Passenger Prescreening System, known as CAPPS II, would check names against an international database to search for terrorists or violent criminals. Those given a red stamp would be prohibited from getting on an airplane, and those classified as yellow would receive extra screening. The AP quoted Air Transport Association President James May as saying the government must implement certain protections for passengers before any directives are issued to implement CAPPS II.

The U.S. government is moving ahead with plans to safeguard commercial airliners against attacks from shoulder-fired missiles. The Department of Homeland Security has narrowed to three a field of bidders seeking a six-month, $2 million contract to design concepts to protect jets from ground-to-air missiles that are thought to be in the possession of terrorist groups. The three groups still in the running are Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems and a group headed by United Airlines, according to Newsday of Long Island, NY. Aerospace analyst Paul Nisbet called the move "a first step by the federal government to do anything of any consequence to defend our commercial aircraft." But such an endeavor won't be easy. Parney Albright, Homeland Security assistant secretary, called the difference between maintaining a military and civilian antimissile akin to the difference in the servicing engines of a race car and family sedan, says The Associated Press.

The U.S. Department of State is warning Americans of security concerns in Saudi Arabia, and has asked them to defer any nonessential travel. The government continues to receive indications of terrorist threats aimed at Americans and others, including transportation and civil aviation targets. The U.S. Embassy and consulates may suspend service from time to time, and it will use the Warden System (an emergency alert network) to keep Americans there apprised of the situation. Americans in Saudi Arabia are urged to register with the Embassy in Riyadh or the consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran.

The U.S. Department of State has issued a worldwide caution to reemphasize the continuing threat to U.S. citizens around the world. State said the government remains "deeply concerned" about the security of citizens overseas. It asks them to remain alert and increase their security awareness. "We are seeing increasing indications that Al-Qaida is preparing to strike U.S. interests abroad. We expect Al-Qaida will strive for new attacks designed to be more devastating than the September 11 attack, possibly involving non conventional weapons such as chemical or biological agents." State also says it cannot rule out the possibility of another strike within the U.S. Government facilities abroad remain at a heightened state of alert.