Lawmaker wants airlines to hand over manifests 24 hours before int'l flights

Airlines would be required to hand over the names of international travelers to the U.S. government 24 hours before flights under legislation planned by a veteran lawmaker.

Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) plans to introduce a bill that would require airlines to hand over its passenger manifests for international flights to the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agency a full day beforehand.

The bill, which is in response to the attempted Christmas Day bombing of a Northwest Airlines flight en route to Detroit from Amsterdam, would expand the window during which U.S. government officials would have an opportunity to identify travelers who pose a threat to airline safety.

"24 hours is not too much to ask to get the lists of those who are flying to Customs and Border Patrol," Lowey said during an interview on MSNBC. "You better be sure you have every suspect on that list. If I'm going to make a choice, I'd rather be extra-careful."

Lowey had pushed the commissioner of the CBP on the current rules during a March 2009 hearing in the House, but backed off after the agency said the rule change would cause administrative headaches for airlines.

After it was reported on Thursday that U.S. officials had identified threats from the Christmas Day suspect, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, after the flight had departed, Lowey decided to renew her push for legislation to expand the window in which the government would have a chance to process information.

"Our first responsibility is not the profits of the airlines," she said. "Those lists have to be reviewed very carefully before someone like Abdulmutallab is allowed on a flight."

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