flying questions
 

My friend was trying to tell me the other day that the names of all passengers on all flights that originate in the USA are submitted to the INS. Does this include both domestic and international flights? I could hardly believe this, there are so many flights each day. So we couldn't answer this question, wonder if someone here can: what does the INS do with all those names? Do they even have the manpower to process all the names? I assume they are looking for terrorists or other criminals. Or is it just processed by a computer against previous INS files? What about the people that fly standby or buy a ticket the same day, can they even have time to check them. Or is all the stuff done after the fact? I just find this kinda of mind boggling, lol. I know it's supposed to help. I guess that's why i'm asking all the questions. Thanks for the answers all.

Re: flying questions
 

mapleleaf wrote:
    >
    > My friend was trying to tell me the other day that the names of all
    > passengers on all flights that originate in the USA are submitted to the
    > INS. Does this include both domestic and international flights? I could

I dount it is done for domestic flights

    > hardly believe this, there are so many flights each day. So we couldn't
    > answer this question, wonder if someone here can: what does the INS do
    > with all those names? Do they even have the manpower to process all the
    > names? I assume they are looking for terrorists or other criminals. Or

It is (relatively) trivial these days to simply store large amounts of
data in various databases. I don't know what is done with the data.

Re: flying questions
 

On Mon, 25 Nov 2002 23:47:32 +0000, mapleleaf wrote:


    > My friend was trying to tell me the other day that the names of all
    > passengers on all flights that originate in the USA are submitted to the
    > INS. Does this include both domestic and international flights?

No. It only includes flights originating in foreign countries, or
departing to them.

    > I could hardly believe this, there are so many flights each day. So we
    > couldn't answer this question, wonder if someone here can: what does
    > the INS do with all those names? Do they even have the manpower to
    > process all the names?

This is an automated process. The INS uses it to "pre-process" the
passengers before they land so that they have more time to identify people
on watch lists. And, yes, they do have the manpower. Remember that they
also have the manpower to ask each single passenger what he plans to do in
the US.

    > I assume they are looking for terrorists or other criminals. Or is it
    > just processed by a computer against previous INS files? What about the
    > people that fly standby or buy a ticket the same day, can they even have
    > time to check them.

It used to be that airlines could optionally participate in this program,
but now it is mandatory. The passenger manifest must be transmitted to the
INS right when the flight closes, so standby passengers and the like are
still caught. Without the manifest, the flight would not be allowed to
land in the US.

    > Or is all the stuff done after the fact? I just find this kinda of mind
    > boggling, lol. I know it's supposed to help. I guess that's why i'm
    > asking all the questions. Thanks for the answers all.
    >
    > --
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