THE US has dropped plans to introduce its
controversial CAPS II security programme.
The programme, which included plans to colour-code
passengers according to their perceived security risk, has been dropped due to
data privacy concerns and operational problems.
However, the US Department of Homeland Security is
working on another version.
Guild of Business Travel Agents air working party
chairman and P&O Business Travel managing director Alan Coles said there
had been a lot of resistance due to privacy concerns, but added: “We need to
see what it is going to be replaced with.”
CAPS II plans included grading travellers green, amber
or red, according to their perceived risk.
However UK travel management companies were not clear
whether travellers would know their grading and were concerned at what could
happen should clients have the same name as crime suspects.
An ABTA spokesman described the old plans as
“Draconian”, but warned: “This doesn’t mean it won’t come back in another
form.”