Airlines are protesting a government plan that would require them to
take fingerprints of foreign travelers as they fly out of the USA,
saying it could create massive lines at airport check-in counters
Congress has required that the 33 million foreigners a year coming
into U.S. airports be fingerprinted when they arrive and leave the
country but did not specify who should take the prints.
The Homeland Security Department, which currently fingerprints
foreigners coming into U.S. airports, wants airlines to be responsible
for taking fingerprints as these travelers leave.The International Air
Transport Association (IATA) urged the White House to kill the plan.
"This is a government function, not to be outsourced to the private
sector," said Ken Dunlap, security chief for IATA North America. The
association represents 240 airlines worldwide. Read more