By Chauncey Alcorn
Two New York lawmakers Tuesday urged Congress and major airlines to close a security loophole they said allowed suspected terrorist Faisal Shahzad to board a May 4 flight headed to the Middle East from Kennedy Airport even though Shahzad was on the nation’s no-fly list.
U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-White Plains) last week introduced a House bill requiring airlines and U.S. airports to submit a passenger and crew manifest at least 24 hours before the scheduled takeoff of foreign flights to or from the United States. The information would go to the commissioner of U.S. Customs & Border Protection.
She and U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) hosted a news conference Tuesday about the bill at the Marine Air Terminal at LaGuardia Airport.
Currently, the law only requires air carriers to submit flight manifests 30 minutes prior to flight departure and the new bill’s supporters said that is not enough time for security personnel.
“Less than two weeks ago, our city narrowly avoided a bullet,” Crowley said, referring to the faulty car bomb found in an SUV parked in Times Square May 1. “Since Customs only has 30 minutes to check a flight list, there is simply no way to adequately do this job.”
Authorities said Shahzad, who is accused of making the Times Square bomb, was placed on the no-fly list at 12:30 p.m. May 4 and an electronic notification was sent by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to private airlines shortly thereafter. But Shahzad was still able to book a flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Dubai at 6:30 p.m. the same day, they said.
At 7:35 p.m., he arrived at the airport and paid in cash for his ticket. He boarded his Emirates Airline flight shortly before scheduled takeoff, but was taken into custody at 11:45 p.m.
“How someone who paid in cash could be on the no-fly list and get on a plane is astonishing to us,” Lowey said. “We are so proud of our New York City police force and [federal authorities] for taking this person off the plane — however, for me it does not make sense.”
The proposed bill also would require airlines to check the no-fly list within two hours after receiving special notification about newly added names. Currently, they may do so within 24 hours.
Crowley said the goal is to prevent future terrorists from slipping through bureaucratic holes in security surveillance.
“Most Americans were shocked that [Shahzad] made it on the plane,” he said. “Those that carry out terrorist attacks shouldn’t be allowed to board airplanes. Americans deserve that peace of mind.”
Reach reporter Chauncey Alcorn by e-mail at timesledgernews@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4564.
