May 5th, 2010
10:12 AM ET

DHS changing no-fly list policy after Times Square plot

The Department of Homeland Security is changing its no-fly list update policies to prevent a repeat of what happened Monday, when the suspect in the Times Square attempted bombing was allowed to board a plane despite his name being on the no-fly list, a DHS official told CNN Wednesday.

The official said the Transportation Security Administration will require airlines to check the no-fly list within two hours of being electronically notified of additions or changes. Previously, airlines were required to re-check the list within 24 hours.

Faisal Shahzad, who has been charged in connection with the attempted bombing in Times Square, was able to board Emirates Flight 202 late Monday despite being put on a no-fly list earlier in the day. He made his reservation by phone as he drove to the airport just hours before the flight, investigators said. When he paid for his ticket in cash at the ticket counter, the airline had not refreshed its information so his name did not raise any red flags, a senior counterterrorism official told CNN.

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Filed under: Air travel • Times Square Car Bomb
soundoff (281 Responses)
  1. kapechi

    When are these idiots going to learn? When someone pays CASH for a ticket, they should immediately check the history of the reservation for oddities. Then when it is an "Emirate" airline, how many flags need to go up, especially right after a bombing attempt. Do we EVER learn?

    May 5, 2010 at 11:26 pm | Report abuse |
  2. cvf

    how did he pay cahs form a phone?

    May 5, 2010 at 11:42 pm | Report abuse |
  3. cvf

    strip search all sahibs period

    May 5, 2010 at 11:43 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Cec

    Paying in cash on an international flight should raise a red flag IMO. This isn't like a $49 flight on southwest... It was probably $800 maybe well over $1000, especially bought at the counter on the last minute. Having that kind of cash should raise enough of a red flag to cross check the name to the no fly list.

    May 5, 2010 at 11:46 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Bipin

    It is evident from repeated incidents that only people of a particular religion and national origin are involved in most of the terrorist activity being carried out around the globe. Why DHS and other agencies involved in securing our homeland are hesitant to target their efforts in finding out the radical elements among people from this backgroound. I guess they are afraid being hounded by ACLU and other self proclaimed adversaries of racial profiling.

    May 5, 2010 at 11:52 pm | Report abuse |
  6. rcm

    We buy a ticket on the way to the airport and pay cash on the same day as the flight. International flight. To a mideastern country that is smack in the middle of this mess. If profiling is what it takes to catch this, then I am all for profiling. Alarm bells should be going off all over for a same day reservation for an international flight alone regardless of what your last name is. Paid in cash should set off more alarms. Mideastern surname to mideastern country more alarms again. He never should have been able to board, period- regardless of the no fly list or citizenship. If I tried to make a same day reservation to a mideastern country and paid cash I would EXPECT to be asked what the hell Ii am doing. Remind me what we are paying TSA to do?

    May 6, 2010 at 12:00 am | Report abuse |
  7. Greg M.

    some people in this world ACTUALLY do not have credit cards so the cash payment shouldnt be alarming(people who file bankruptcy or do not have a high enough limit)but i'm sure they would have enough sense to know when they would have enough to purchase a ticket and do it WELL IN ADVANCE and save a little money easily.so obviously something that WOULD be alarming is just what this guy did,paid in cash on same day reservation to a war zone.if he was on no fly list it obviously shows that TSA was concerned about this person and he should not even be a citizen of the U.S.how else will he visit his family if he is on no fly list?DEPORTATION.also,if and when a plane does blow up,who will be paying for the lawsuit?TSA for improper screening,airline for not checking list?body scanners should be mandatory for at least international flights.they do not appear to be any more invasive than an x-ray.it's not like you are looking at someone nude,you are looking inside them practically.if there is a female scanner is she smiling at some men because of what she saw in the scanner?i doubt it.

    May 6, 2010 at 2:10 am | Report abuse |
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