Airlines flying over US could face stiffer terrorist security check

As an added protection against terrorism, the Bush administration is considering requiring non-U.S. airlines to check the names of their passengers against government watch lists when their flights pass over the United States, reported Associated Press.

The proposal would most affect airlines in Mexico and Canada.

Currently, foreign airlines planning to land flights in the United States must submit passenger and crew lists to the U.S. government within 15 minutes of taking off. The names are checked against lists of people who are considered terrorists or who otherwise could present a danger.

On flights that pass over the United States, the airlines also check the names of crew members against watch lists. The Transportation Security Administration is now considering requiring airlines to also check the names of passengers on those flights, a spokesman said Wednesday.

The proposed change results from an incident April 8, when U.S. authorities denied a KLM flight from Amsterdam to Mexico the right to fly into U.S. airspace after learning that two passengers were on the government’s “no-fly” list of known or suspected terrorists.

The plane had been in the air five hours and was in Canadian airspace when it was refused entrance into U.S. airspace, according to a KLM spokesman.