banned from London

[xxxLinda]

this is the bbc front page news, by the way:




Flights from UK 'escape US bans'




Airplanes:
Flights from the UK will not be affected by the EU-US row
Passengers flying from UK airports will not be affected by a EU-US row over US demands for information on passengers, the British government has said.

The Department of Transport (DoT) said it had taken out an air navigation order, so planes flying to the US would escape potential American landing bans.

It means airlines can pass information to the US without running into legal trouble under data protection laws.

The action came as a deal between the EU and US remained in doubt.

A DoT spokesman said: "We took out an air navigation order so planes could have a legal basis for data transfer while the EU-level talks are ongoing.

"It's a patch, if you like."

Planning ahead

Paul Charles, Virgin Atlantic's director of communications, said the British government had good foresight to put the legal patch in place.

"They took it on that if there was not a deal between the EU and the US then this patch could take effect.

"It means airlines can carry on as normal as if the argument had never occurred and the agreement was not about to run out.

"It means airlines can go on providing the passenger data that the US require without facing possible legal action."



European and American officials have been holding talks to resolve the dispute on the transfer of airline passenger data before it runs out on Saturday.

The row began in May, when the European Court of Justice ruled against a deal set up following the 9/11 attacks.

Under this agreement, European airlines agreed to supply the American authorities with detailed information about passengers flying into the US.

The two sides had until Saturday to replace the deal, with the Americans warning it may fine airlines or deny them landing rights if they refused to provide such data.

The US government believe the information is vital in their fight against terrorism and called for even more access to information.  




& I so love that bit
with love,
Linda
x

[xxxLinda]

    
Last Updated: Saturday, 30 September 2006, 22:49 GMT 23:49 UK
E-mail this to a friend    Printable version
EU-US airline data talks collapse
An airplane takes off from Philadelphia International Airport (file image)
The US had requested 34 pieces of data on each airline passenger
Talks between the United States and the European Union on sharing confidential airline passenger information have broken down, according to the EU.

But officials say there will be no disruption to transatlantic flights.

After 9/11, US authorities demanded that airlines should provide personal passenger data for all inbound flights.

But the subsequent US-EU agreement was ruled illegal by the highest European court in May of this year. Saturday was the deadline for a new deal.

A European Commission spokesman said that a legal black hole could be created by the lack of agreement.

"There is no agreement. There is a legal vacuum as of midnight tonight," EU Transport Commission spokesman Jonathan Todd said on Saturday.


As a result, airlines refusing to provide passenger lists to the US may lose landing rights in the country, but those that do risk facing legal action under EU member states' data protection legislation.

But Mr Todd told BBC television that attempts to resolve the deadlock would continue.

   
We are confident we can move forward to a mutually acceptable agreement
Michael Chertoff
US Homeland Security Secretary

"We will be discussing this at the highest political levels to see how we can take if forward. There is an imperative to sort it out sooner rather than later," he said.

However, US Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told Reuters news agency that there was "absolutely no basis" to say that discussions had broken down.

"We are confident we can move forward to a mutually acceptable agreement," he said.

He said he had been assured that European airlines would continue to provide the required passenger information and said he doubted European governments would penalise them for this.

Since 2003, US authorities have requested that airlines provide passengers' personal data to American security officials, including credit card information and telephone numbers.

A total of 34 pieces of data must be transferred to authorities within 15 minutes of a flight's departure for the US.



wow

[xxxLinda]

with love from livid in ~London


xL


I've got a multiple indefinite visa but...

[Bigger Business]

arnt you banned from general topics?

[Hedgehog]

arnt you banned from general topics?

Yes.

I suggest you PM Ron about putting her in Timeout for a month or two if she posts one more time here.

YIP
Zack