STATEMENT
WASHINGTON, June 11, 2008 – The Air Transport Association of America (ATA), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, today issued the following statement after the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee approved a bill that would withhold funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop a system that uses biometrics, such as fingerprints, to verify when foreign travelers leave the country through airports:
“We have been saying for more than one year that DHS has no legal authority to proceed with its proposal to saddle airlines with a requirement to collect fingerprints from foreign travelers departing the United States. We are extremely grateful that Chairman Price and Ranking Member Rogers have led the way in withholding funding for this program. Hopefully DHS will heed the clear message of this action and withdraw its proposal,” said ATA President and CEO James C. May.
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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