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Government/Legislation
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Reminder: WHTI rule relaxation expires end of September
Beginning October 1, travelers returning by air to the United States from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport to gain entry into the country.
As previously reported in CWT Traveler, the U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security in June temporarily revised part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) to accommodate the busy summer travel season, allowing the aforementioned segment of travelers to re-enter the U.S. by showing government-issued photo identification and Department of State-issued proof of application for a U.S. passport rather than an actual passport. That provision remains effective through September 30.
The second phase of the WHTI, which affects travelers returning to the United States by land and sea, is scheduled to take effect sometime in 2008.
Sources: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, The New York Times, MSNBC, Associated Press
FAA plans to improve runway safety
On August 16, the Federal Aviation Administration announced a plan to improve runway safety at U.S. airports. The goal of this plan is to reduce the number of runway collision hazards and wrong-runway departures. The short-term plan includes a number of improvements that will be made within 60 days of the plan’s implementation, such as:
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Safety reviews at the 20-30 airports where runway incidents are of greatest concern
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Dissemination of information and training across the aviation industry
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At the top 75 airports, acceleration of the deployment of improved airport signage and markings
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Review and potential changes to cockpit procedures and air traffic control clearance procedures
Additional goals are being evaluated to improve procedures, technology and training. By eliminating potential hazards and confusion in the taxiing process, the FAA hopes to avoid situations such as the August 27, 2006, crash of a Comair jet in Lexington, Ky., which took off from a runway too short to accommodate commercial jets.
Sources: Federal Aviation Administration, USA TODAY, CBS News
