Corporate Travel Manager Survey Indicates Uncertainty About CAPPS II
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Washington, D.C. (March 17, 2004) -- The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) today asked Congress to address inconsistencies in airline passenger screening procedures, and to ensure that the Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System (CAPPSII) actually will improve the effectiveness of secondary screening by identifying those passengers who may represent a higher security risk.
NBTA President and CEO Carol Devine said that “while business travelers are safer and more secure than before September 11, 2001, there remains considerable room for improvement” in airline security. She cited the results of a new NBTA survey of corporate travel managers, in which nearly 70% of the respondents cited “inconsistencies” in procedures at major airports, and one-half (50%) expressed concern about inefficiencies at security checkpoints and “observable gaps” in aviation security.
In the survey, 55% of respondents expressed support for the concept of CAPPSII if the goals of the system are to improve the effectiveness of secondary screening by identifying those passengers representing a higher risk.
Other findings, however, reiterate continued uncertainty among corporate travel managers about the impact of programs such as CAPPSII. Three in five (60%) of respondents said that if new security requirements such CAPPSII and U.S. Visit impede business travel, they would implement more business conference calls in place of actual travel; 40% said they would recommend reducing out of town meetings. When asked to list their concerns about CAPPSII, 75% cited the need for data accuracy. About 60% said they were concerned about prevention of abuse relative to the collection of passenger data.
“Most corporate travel buyers will make reasonable efforts to collect current, accurate data for disclosure to security authorities," said NBTA’s Devine, "provided there are effective safeguards for traveler privacy and corporate data ownership." Disclosure of travel information either directly to the Federal Government, to travel suppliers, or to third parties must comply with privacy laws and regulations, contractual commitments and ethical rules. In the survey, nearly one-half of the respondents (46%) said it is possible that CAPPSII might conflict with their company's corporate data policies; 47% expressed uncertainty about the willingness of their company’s travelers to provide additional information to the Transportation Security Administration.
NBTA supports creating an external data privacy advisory board and legislation (HR 338) requiring federal agencies to conduct a "privacy impact analysis" before promulgating security-related regulations, in order to address legitimate privacy concerns.
NBTA’s Devine said the results highlight the link between business travel and the overall U.S. economy. "Business travel drives the economy, and vice versa,” she said. “Therefore, Congress should act to correct inconsistencies in the security screening systems that could further harm the business travel industry and the economy as a whole."
The National Business Travel Association is the source for critical information on the business travel industry. For more than 35 years, NBTA has dedicated itself to the professional development of its members through advocacy, education and training, and networking opportunities. NBTA represents over 2,400 corporate travel managers and travel service providers, who collectively manage and direct more than $170 billion of expenditures within the business travel industry.
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