APEX Editor's Blog

PHOENIX: American Airlines believes the US Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) move to delay lifting the ban prohibiting small knives on aircraft allows the agency to reverse course and seek proper feedback regarding changes on its barred items list. TSA’s original plan to lift the ban on 6cm (2.36in) knives in carry-on bags drew sharp criticism [...]

NEW YORK: Trusted traveller schemes are often highlighted as a crucial element of creating more intelligent airport passenger screening programmes. But political sensitivities are creating roadblocks in the widespread use of tiered screening in one of the most important aviation markets – the European Union. In 2011 the US TSA introduced its Trusted Traveller programme [...]

NEW YORK: Hoping to alleviate growing passenger impatience at security checkpoints, Canada is studying traffic patterns to concentrate screener resources during peak travel times in a bid to increase throughput. The majority of passengers have confidence in Canada’s security system, CATSA (Canadian Air Transport Security Authority) senior director of screening operations Neil Perry said this week [...]

NEW YORK: US airlines presently are not feeling severe pain from government spending cuts ushered in by budget impasse negotiations between the administration of US President Barack Obama and the country’s Congress, but frustration is growing as carriers brace for operational disruptions that will trigger delays at airports in security screening and customs processing. The [...]

NEW YORK: A move by the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to remove certain-sized knives and sporting goods from a long-ago instituted list of prohibited items in carry-on baggage is a small step in the right direction as the agency and the airline industry at large work towards improving nettlesome security screening processes. But a [...]

The Travel Channel’s new reality series, Airport 24/7: Miami, is a huge hit with viewers but has garnered a rabid, almost cult-like following among the ranks of AvGeeks and airline industry insiders alike. We spoke with creator, executive producer, and self-professed AvGeek, Chris Sloan about the unique challenges of getting an all-access show like this [...]

For airlines, few other platforms can match the importance their respective websites play in nurturing customer relationships for infrequent travellers and road warriors alike. But as online payment and loyalty programme management technologies evolve, so too do an underworld of fraudsters, who relish in breaching seemingly foolproof security barriers, which can create significant revenue losses [...]

As technology continues to progress and hackers continue to hack, it’s no surprise that professionals like Eric Diehl, VP of security systems & technology and business security services at Technicolor, are becoming evermore vigilant about ensuring that appropriate security protocols are in place to protect entertainment content. “One of the biggest things that I am [...]

Back in January, Kansas City, Missouri-based architecture and engineering firm HNTB Corporation released a study that found about 44 per cent of passengers see the air travel experience as stressful, while 41 per cent find it frustrating. A big point of contention, according to the study, are the queues at airport security checkpoints. If you [...]

US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials recently announced that the agency is expanding its PreCheck trusted traveller programme, first unveiled in October 2011. The move allows members of US Customs and Border Protection programmes including Global Entry, NEXUS, and SENTRI, along with eligible airline frequent flyers, the opportunity to use expedited screening, which in turn [...]