Did TSA Ask JetBlue to Provide Data for Screening Program?
WASHINGTON—Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Susan Collins (R-ME) and Ranking Member Joe Lieberman (D-CT) today called on the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to explain its role in obtaining sensitive airline passenger information from JetBlue for a Defense Department database project. In a letter sent today to Asa Hutchinson, Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security, the Senators wrote, “Press reports have indicated that TSA was involved in the transfer of millions of Passenger Name Records (PNR) to the Army contractor. Although the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has indicated that TSA’s role was limited, it has come to our attention that this may not have been the case. Army officials recently indicated to Committee staff that airlines were reluctant to provide PNR data to Torch Concepts without TSA’s approval. It is our understanding that TSA did provide such approval in the form of a written request to JetBlue asking the airline to pro
