7 Airlines OK Prompt Crash Name Disclosure
Seven U.S. airlines have agreed to quickly tell the State Department the names of passengers believed to be aboard international flights that crash, the department announced Tuesday.
A new memorandum of understanding “sets up a regime according to which, in a matter of hours, air carriers must provide to the government unverified manifests of who was on board the aircraft,” State Department spokesman Glyn Davies told reporters.
The seven carriers involved in the agreement with the State Department are American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta, Northwest, Trans World Airlines, United Airlines and USAir.
The memorandum does not have the force of law, Davies said, but the Transportation Department is working on regulations requiring airlines to provide such information.
He said the memorandum’s provisions concerning passenger lists were the first commitment by the airlines to establish a routine for providing the information to the State Department.
The agreement follows the crash July 17 of TWA Flight 800 off Long Island. Families of many of the 230 aboard who were killed complained that TWA delayed for several hours telling them the fate of their loved ones.
Inside the business of entertainment
The Wide Shot brings you news, analysis and insights on everything from streaming wars to production — and what it all means for the future.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
