US scraps CAPS II – for now

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.”