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Airports Council International-North America Testifies on US-VISIT Program

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) President David Z. Plavin testified before the House Government Reform Committee on behalf of the members of Airports Council International and the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) regarding the Goals and Challenges of the US-VISIT Program. The program aims to enhance national security by verifying foreign national travelers' identities through biometric identifiers. ACI-NA and AAAE support the program but emphasize the need for careful implementation to balance security and facilitation of travel and trade.

Key Takeaways:

  • The US-VISIT program must be implemented with great care to facilitate travel and trade while ensuring security and immigration objectives are met.
  • Concerns raised by airports include entry staffing issues and performance standards, financial issues, and exit elements.
  • Airports believe US-VISIT should publish standards for clearing passengers and aircraft to gauge system performance and identify necessary improvements.
  • Adequate funding is required before implementing the program's exit portion, as demonstrated by the Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration.
  • Test pilot programs are crucial, and US-VISIT should sample technologies and placements at various airports to determine the best exit system.
  • "We cannot afford to let the relatively trouble-free beginning of US-VISIT during a light travel season make us complacent about how well the system will cope with the increased number of passengers trying to enter and later exit the U.S. at airports during peak travel periods." - David Z. Plavin
  • ACI-NA member airports enplane more than 98 percent of the domestic and virtually all international airline passenger and cargo traffic in North America.

Statistics:

  • 98 percent of domestic and virtually all international airline passenger and cargo traffic in North America are handled by ACI-NA member airports.
  • Airports believe in most cases, the effective placement of the exit process will be at departure gates, but each airport is unique.
  • Over 300 aviation-related businesses are members of the association, which is the largest of the six worldwide regions of Airports Council International.

Sources:

  • David Z. Plavin's testimony: http://www.aci-na.org/docs/70_PLAVINTEST0304.doc
  • Airports Council International - North America: http://www.aci-na.org/
  • PRNewswire: WASHINGTON, March 4 /PRNewswire/.

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