STATEMENT
WASHINGTON, June 3, 2008 - The Air Transport Association of America (ATA), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, today issued the following statement on Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA):
"Although Congress has instructed the Department of Homeland Security to proceed with ESTA, the department has chosen to issue its rule without the benefit of any normal public notice-and-comment rulemaking process. By missing an opportunity for public or stakeholder input, DHS has circumvented a process that could have resulted in a much improved program.”
ATA airline members and their affiliates transport more than 90 percent of all U.S. airline passenger and cargo traffic. For additional information about the industry, visit www.airlines.org.
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