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Feds didn’t call all airlines to warn of suspect
May. 05, 2010

WASHINGTON Law enforcement officials decided not to call all airlines directly on Monday to tell them an important name had been added to the government’s “no-fly” list, even as investigators pursued the man they suspected was the Times Square bomber.

Emirates airlines apparently didn’t notice the notification from the Transportation Security Administration that there was an addition to the list, and Faisal Shahzad boarded a Mideast-bound jetliner before federal authorities pulled him off and arrested him. On Wednesday, the government issued a new requirement for airlines to check the no-fly list more often, a move aimed at closing that security gap in future cases of terror suspects.

But officials could have called all the airlines themselves in such a critical situation - they’ve done it before.
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The FBI asked the TSA not to make the calls, according to an administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the ongoing investigation. The FBI did let the TSA call a few domestic air carriers, which did not include Emirates.

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Schumer also said matching names to watch lists in the commercial aviation sector should be up to the government, not airlines.

The government agrees. It has planned to take over the responsibility, but the transition has taken longer than expected. The new program is almost fully implemented for domestic airlines and is months away from beginning with international carriers.