WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- Passenger airlines no longer will be responsible for monitoring the terrorist watch-list under a plan by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The Department of Homeland Security announced Wednesday that matching wanted persons and terrorist suspects on the pre-departure watch-list will now be conducted by the Transportation Security Administration under a program called Secure Flight.
The shift of responsibility, a key recommendation of the Sept. 11 Commission, is part of an effort to reduce the number of misidentifications and to administer responsibility of the watch-list to specially trained officials.
"Secure Flight is a critical tool that will further improve aviation security and fix the major customer service issue of watch list misidentifications, a frustratingly common occurrence for travelers under the existing airline-based system," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in a statement.
"We know that threats to our aviation system persist, and Secure Flight will help us better protect the traveling public while creating a more consistent passenger pre-screening process, ultimately reducing the number of misidentification issues."
Watch-list responsibilities for domestic flights will be taken over by the TSA beginning in early 2009. Responsibilities for international flights will be taken over at the end of 2009.
