United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2008-09-09 monographic deposited born digital 58 p. GA 1.13:GAO-08-992 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-992 P0b002ee180392f3f f:d08992 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-992 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-992 GAO-08-992 Air transportation Airport security Aviation security Commercial aviation Counterterrorism Data collection Data integrity Databases Homeland security Inspection Internal controls Passenger screening Passengers Program evaluation Program management Records Reporting requirements Risk assessment Risk management Schedule slippages Secure flight Security assessments Security policies Security threats Terrorism Transportation security Program goals or objectives TSA Secure Flight Program Other Written Product A84092

Air carriers remain a front-line defense against acts of terrorism that target the nation's civil aviation system. A key responsibility of air carriers is to check passengers' names against terrorist watch-list records to identify persons who should be prevented from boarding (the No Fly List) or who should undergo additional security scrutiny (the Selectee List). Eventually, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is to assume this responsibility through its Secure Flight program. However, due to program delays, air carriers retain this role. You asked GAO to review domestic air carriers' watch-list-matching processes. GAO examined (1) the watch-list-matching requirements air carriers must follow that have been established by TSA, and (2) the extent to which TSA has assessed air carriers' compliance with these requirements. GAO reviewed TSA's security directives, internal guidance used by TSA's inspectors to assess air carriers' compliance with requirements, and inspection results, as well as interviewed staff from 14 of 95 domestic air carriers (selected to reflect a range in operational sizes). This report is the public version of a restricted report (GAO-08-453SU) issued in July 2008. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-992/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-992.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-992/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-992.pdf GAO-08-992 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-992 Other Written Product GAO-08-992; Aviation Security: TSA Is Enhancing Its Oversight of Air Carrier Efforts to Identify Passengers on the No Fly and Selectee Lists, but Expects Ultimate Solution to Be Implementation of Secure Flight; Air transportation Airport security Aviation security Commercial aviation Counterterrorism Data collection Data integrity Databases Homeland security Inspection Internal controls Passenger screening Passengers Program evaluation Program management Records Reporting requirements Risk assessment Risk management Schedule slippages Secure flight Security assessments Security policies Security threats Terrorism Transportation security Program goals or objectives TSA Secure Flight Program Title 49 Section 44903(j)(2)(C) 49 U.S.C. 44903(j)(2)(C) Volume 115 Page 597 115 Stat. 597 Volume 118 Page 3638 118 Stat. 3638 Volume 121 Page 1844 121 Stat. 1844 Public Law 107-71 Public Law 108-458 Public Law 110-161