[Article] Airlines Caught Between U.S. and European Union

Ruu_Old

This has been going on for sometime now, just what we all need. From here.

A failure by the U.S. and the European Union to reach a new agreement next month on the provision of passenger data for transatlantic flights could ground up to 105,000 people each week, the International Air Transport Association's director general said Thursday.

The two sides need to reach a new accord by the end of September, after the European Court of Justice ruled in May that the current agreement is unacceptable. That agreement calls for airlines to provide U.S. authorities with the names, addresses, ticket payment details, and telephone numbers of passengers on U.S.-bound flights. The EU's highest court ruled that there was no "appropriate legal basis" for the deal, and said it would cease to be valid from October.

If a new agreement isn't reached before then, airlines will be forced to decide whether to continue providing the information in violation of European privacy law, withhold the information in violation of U.S. law, or ground flights to avoid breaking any law, said Giovanni Bisignani, director general and CEO of IATA, at a news conference in Tokyo.

"I hope that there will be an agreement because I know that the cooperation between [U.S.] Homeland Security and the European Union is strong and effective," he said.

"I think there is time to find a decision," Bisignani said. "It's not up to me to say which is the best decision. It's up to me to say I look forward to increased cooperation and increased discussion between the two parties because we cannot be in a situation on September 30 when we have to make the decision which law to break."

U.S. Wants Data Usage Rules Relaxed

Bisignani's comments came two days after U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff wrote in The Washington Post that the U.S. needs continued access to the personal information on passengers, and also wants the rules relaxed on how the information can be used.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection receives the information regularly, he wrote, but cannot share it freely with investigators in other Department of Homeland Security divisions, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or with the Federal Bureau of Investigation--"never mind with our allies in London."

"This information might yet identify associates of those arrested in the plot in Britain, but the rules blind us in routinely searching for that connection," Chertoff wrote.

The U.S. says the data allows them to identify certain passengers for additional screening when they arrive in the U.S. while reducing the amount of time spent on screening low-risk passengers.

FlutterinBantam

More and more and more red tape and conditions relating to security and travel will eventually trap the major airlines in a morass which will make it very difficult to operate profitably.

Like the slow squeeze of the boa constrictor, restrictions and regulations are squeezing the lifegiving advantage from the worlds major airlines. that coupled with rising energy costs and labour issues, make the airline industry very succeptable to a downward trend in major economies.... Expect casualties....

breadmonkey

FlutterinBantam wrote:

More and more and more red tape and conditions relating to security and travel will eventually trap the major airlines in a morass which will make it very difficult to operate profitably.

Like the slow squeeze of the boa constrictor, restrictions and regulations are squeezing the lifegiving advantage from the worlds major airlines. that coupled with rising energy costs and labour issues, make the airline industry very succeptable to a downward trend in major economies.... Expect casualties....

But, no matter what, people are still going to need to fly.

Sam Vimes

instead of european airlines sending the americans their passengers personal information, maybe the americans could provide the airlines with the no fly list so they can decide themselves whether or not to let someone fly

FlutterinBantam

breadmonkey wrote:

But, no matter what, people are still going to need to fly.

Correct and right... but only the strong will survive....like I said... expect casualties.

FlutterinBantam

Commander Vimes wrote:

instead of european airlines sending the americans their passengers personal information, maybe the americans could provide the airlines with the no fly list so they can decide themselves whether or not to let someone fly

It has happened before.... some Canadian airlines prior to flights sent in a no fly list..... a certain lad from West Belfast.. old grizzly, usually featured I'm told......Himself and a few Singhs!!!!

Dellas

America has the right to ask whatever they want if you are going to their country !!! If people dont like it stay away from America!!!simple.