Since the government has been unresponsive to my requests to clarify its new security measures, I thought it would be best to publish the security directive in its entirety.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Transportation Security AdministrationAviation Security Directive
Subject: Security Directive
Number: SD 1544-09-06
Date: December 25, 2009EXPIRATION: 0200Z on December 30, 2009
This Security Directive (SD) must be implemented immediately. The measures contained in this SD are in addition to all other SDs currently in effect for your operations.
INFORMATION: On December 25, 2009, a terrorist attack was attempted against a flight traveling to the United States. TSA has identified security measures to be implemented by airports, aircraft operators, and foreign air carriers to mitigate potential threats to flights.
APPLICABILITY: THIS SD APPLIES TO AIRCRAFT OPERATORS THAT CARRY OUT A SECURITY PROGRAM REGULATED UNDER 49 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR)1544.101(a).
ACTIONS REQUIRED: If you conduct scheduled and/or public charter flight operations under a Full Program under 49 CFR 1544.101(a) departing from any foreign location to the United States (including its territories and possessions), you must immediately implement all measures in this SD for each such flight.
1. BOARDING GATE
1. The aircraft operator or authorized air carrier representative must ensure all passengers are screened at the boarding gate during the boarding process using the following procedures. These procedures are in addition to the screening of all passengers at the screening checkpoint.
1. Perform thorough pat-down of all passengers at boarding gate prior to boarding, concentrating on upper legs and torso.
2. Physically inspect 100 percent of all passenger accessible property at the boarding gate prior to boarding, with focus on syringes being transported along with powders and/or liquids.
3. Ensure the liquids, aerosols, and gels restrictions are strictly adhered to in accordance with SD 1544-06-02E.2. During the boarding process, the air carrier may exempt passengers who are Heads of State or Heads of Government from the measures outlined in Section I.A. of this SD, including the following who are traveling with the Head of State or Head of Government:
1. Spouse and children, or
2. One other individual (chosen by the Head of State or Head of Government)3. For the purposes of Section I.B., the following definitions apply:
1. Head of State: An individual serving as the chief public representative of a monarchic or republican nation-state, federation, commonwealth, or any other political state (for example, King, Queen, and President).
2. Head of Government: The chief officer of the executive branch of a government presiding over a cabinet (for example, Prime Minister, Premier, President, and Monarch).
2. IN FLIGHT
1. During flight, the aircraft operator must ensure that the following procedures are followed:
1. Passengers must remain in seats beginning 1 hour prior to arrival at destination.
2. Passenger access to carry-on baggage is prohibited beginning 1 hour prior to arrival at destination.
3. Disable aircraft-integrated passenger communications systems and services (phone, internet access services, live television programming, global positioning systems) prior to boarding and during all phases of flight.
4. While over U.S. airspace, flight crew may not make any announcement to passengers concerning flight path or position over cities or landmarks.
5. Passengers may not have any blankets, pillows, or personal belongings on the lap beginning 1 hour prior to arrival at destination.AIRCRAFT OPERATOR ACKNOWLEDGMENT: The aircraft operator must immediately provide written confirmation to its assigned PSI indicating receipt of this SD.
AIRCRAFT OPERATOR dissemination required: The aircraft operator must immediately pass the information and directives set forth in this SD to all stations affected, and provide written confirmation to its PSI, indicating that all stations affected have acknowledged receipt of the information and directives set forth in this SD. The aircraft operator must disseminate this information to its senior management personnel, ground security coordinators, and supervisory security personnel at all affected locations. All aircraft operator personnel implementing this SD must be briefed by the aircraft operator on its content and the restrictions governing dissemination. No other dissemination may be made without prior approval of the Assistant Secretary for the Transportation Security Administration. Unauthorized dissemination of this document or information contained herein is prohibited by 49 CFR Part 1520 (see 69 Fed. Reg. 28066 (May 18, 2004).
APPROVAL OF ALTERNATIVE MEASURES: With respect to the provisions of this SD, as stated in 49 CFR 1544.305(d), the aircraft operator may submit in writing to its PSI proposed alternative measures and the basis for submitting the alternative measures for approval by the Assistant Administrator for Transportation Sector Network Management. The aircraft operator must immediately notify its PSI whenever any procedure in this SD cannot be carried out by a government authority charged with performing security procedures.
FOR TSA ACTION ONLY: The TSA must issue this SD immediately to the corporate security element of all affected U.S. aircraft operators.
FOR STATE DEPARTMENT: Retransmittal to appropriate foreign posts is authorized. Post must refer to STATE 162917, 201826Z Sep 01, Subject: FAA Security Directives and Information Circulars: Definitions and Handling, for specific guidance and dissemination.
Gale Rossides
Acting Administrator
(Photo: aka_zoe/Flickr Creative Commons)
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So it seems that the attempt to coerce the name of the provider of this document to these guys was simply to avoid embarrassment? The embarrassment being the after-the-fact attempt to take some rudimentary measures in the wake of their jobs? And when they realized it was more embarrassing to make a stink over it, especially since it was everywhere, thus bringing to light their overly zealous intimidation tactics against your rights, they backed off? Is that the way you guys see this? Is this Nepolitano at the buck stop? It would seem by now they would have been able to figure out how to handle airports, yet I am more terrified by the TSA people, than I am by the real terrorists.
This is just silly. What retard would want to blow his bomb during the last hour of the flight when most of the fuel is spent? A two year old just potty trained child who is denied access to the toilet, perhaps. Airport security is just an expensive and time consuming theatre for the customers. Even El Al allows equipment with lithium batteries on board. If one shorts and catches fire, it will be impossible to extinguish. It doesn’t need to be touched. Most computers are able to switch on at a specified time, even slightly modified ones. Boom, luggage on fire.
Drop the entire theatre and spend the resources on finding the terrorists. Be somewhat extra suspicious of people from terrorist training camps in Yemen whose concerned father calls and warns the embassy, perhaps.
This is strictly a continuance of the attempt to control every phase of our lives. Well I’m not buying it, as it was a false flag anyway, and will never fly again. We appear very close to hitting critcal mass in this country which is why I moved hundreds of miles from any major city. The real terrorists are within the boarders of the USA and not in some far off land.
Great, the show goes on. They had already created a “ritual” of “security” to impress/depress the travelling public and create an illusion of safety, at the expense of quality of life. There will always be nutters. You can’t legislate against every nutter out there. There will always be individuals who blow up airplanes, murder random people, etc. So it was, is and always will be. You have to take *reasonable* measures to protect people but there comes a point where the risk/benefit balance is tipped.
I just want to say that as a parent with a baby (lots of baby stuff needed – oh and access to it too) and a toddler just out of nappies (diapers) (access to a toilet on-demand required, or piss all over aircraft – soiling fee?) I will be avoiding this crazy paranoid country as I do not want me and my family to be treated like animals in this way.
Family package holiday to Disneyland anyone? No thanks. I think I’ll go to Paris instead.
Visited the uSa 10-15 years ago, travelled all over the country, guess 10-12000 miles on amtrak, reckon have seen enough for a long time.
Immigration queues are known to be long, so not fun to be told that can’t use the toilet before landing and have to wait until have gotten thru immigration.
Plenty of other countries to visit before UsA
Does anyone have an explanation regarding why TSA assumes that the last hour of the flight is the most dangerous, and therefore limits movement/activity in the plane at that time? Is it only because that’s when this last incident took place? Isn’t this new directive, then, as short-sighted and reactionary as assuming all shoes can be turned into bombs–because that’s how the last guy tried it?
That sums up my problem with the TSA–all policies are reactionary rather than proactive. It means we’ll always be one step behind the disaster, rather than preventing it. I guess I’ll be doing more driving; none of this makes anyone safer, only more annoyed.
Stupid, reactionary, imbecilic and frankly useless… What the hell is the TSA’s remit anyway? To make the US look like a bunch of fundemental zenophobic hysterics? Anyone with a slight understanding of airline operations could bypass all the new rules and regs… The terrorists win again even when they fail with this sort of dumbass directive. The multitude of honest decent folk get lumbered with more hoops to jump through with no security gain… Will be taking my hard earned holiday money elseware and I know I won’t be alone.
BTW: Has anyone checked trading activity on the full body scanner manufacturers stock BEFORE the detroit flight? Just asking, you know!
Yes, let’s fortify the Maginot Line known as airport security once again. Never mind the possibility of an airport employee using a valid airport ID to bypass a security checkpoint to get a bomb or a gun on an airplane. After all, the Maginot Line worked so well that the Germans invaded France by going around it, not through it.
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