Airlines to Check No-Fly List More Often

Boston.com is among the sources reporting a change in how often airlines are required to check their passenger lists against the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) no-fly list.

The change requires airlines to check the no-fly list within two hours instead of the previously required 24 hours of receiving notifications of changes to the list. As with many TSA policies, it’s a reactionary measure—this time in response to Faisal Shahzad, the man charged in connection with the Times Square attempted bombing, who was caught after boarding but before take-off on a Dubai-bound Emirates flight.

Information sharing works only as quickly as it can be processed, so ensuring that airlines are comparing passenger manifests against the most current no-fly list on as many flights as possible makes sense. Because as we saw, closing that 22-hour gap can make a difference.