Stacey Gilbert of PANYNJ speaks as
Barbara Brown, Chair-JFK Airport Committee,
and Warren Schreiber, Chair-
LaGuardia Airport Committee listen at a
previous LIVE meeting.
TSA scrutinizing STA Applications
Strict adherence to instructions is urged
AIRPORT VOICE, AUGUST 2021 23
BY BRANDON FRIED,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
AIR FORWARDERS
ASSOCIATION
AFA is tracking an emerging
trend in TSA inspections
and enforcement cases that
we wanted to bring to your attention.
Several members have recently
reported that TSA is
focusing on the proper completion
of Security Threat Assessment
(STA) applications
for direct employees and Authorized
Representatives
(ARs). In particular, TSA inspectors
have been scrutinizing
the identification and
work-authorization documents
provided in support of STA applications
(drivers’ licenses,
passports, etc.), and comparing
those to the information reported
in the application itself,
with findings of violations resulting
from any inconsistencies
between the two, or failures
by IACs and CCSFs to
strictly follow the agency’s instructions
for completing STA
applications.
Now is a good time for an internal
audit of the STA applications
you have processed, and
a review of your policies for processing
new STA applications.
In connection with that process,
members should ensure
that they are using the current,
up-to-date version of the
STA application, which can
be found on the public IACMS
page at https://iac.tsa.dhs.gov/
iac/ (scroll down to the “Security
Threat Assessment (STA)
Information” section, and click
where it says “Paper STA”).
As a reminder, Pages 5 and
6 of the “paper” STA application
contain detailed instructions
prepared by TSA about how to
complete certain sections of
the form, including (on Page
6) examples of how names appearing
on identification and
work-authorization documentation
should be reported on the
application itself. For your convenience,
we’ve reproduced
the examples provided by TSA
here:
Example A: Name: Melissa
Anna Brown Name on the Government
picture ID and Work
authorization are the same. Melissa
Ann Brown must be listed
as the Applicants Name in the
STA Application Name field.
Example B: Name: Melissa
Anna Brown Government picture
ID names Melissa Anna
Brown but the Work authorization
names Melissa A. Brown.
Melissa Anna Brown must be
listed as the Applicants Name in
the STA Application Name field
AND Melissa A. Brown must be
listed on the STA Application
Previous and Other Names field.
Example C: Name: Melissa
A. Brown Government picture
ID names Melissa A. Brown but
the Work authorization names
Melissa Anna Brown. Melissa
Anna Brown must be listed as
the Applicants Name in the STA
Application Name field AND
Melissa A. Brown must be listed
on the STA Application and
Other Names field.
NOTE: If the Applicant has
a middle name that does not
appear on the ID or work authorization,
or if the Applicant
is known by more than one
name, each name must be included
in the Previous and
Other Names data field. If the
Applicant uses an initial as part
of his/her name, the initial must
be spelled out in the Previous
and Other Names data field
with the rest of the Applicant’s
full name.
NYCAR holds virtual meeting
Updated FAA Reauthorization Act
BY MARIA R. BECCE,
New York Community Aviation
Roundtable
The New York Community Aviation
Roundtable (NYCAR) held a virtual
meeting on June 21, 2021 hosted
by NYCAR Co-Chairs Barbara Brown
and Warren Schreiber, facilitated by
Bill Huisman and Veda Simmons, the
FAA Ombudsman and Community Engagement
Officer.
The meeting Agenda focused on
the Ombudsman providing updates on
the various sections of the 2018 FAA
Reauthorization Act, and the status of
FAA Reports either submitted to Congress
or scheduled for submission at
a later date. NYCAR is seeking to review
FAA Reports already submitted
to Congress and called upon the Ombudsman
for assistance in securing
this information. It was pointed out that
NYCAR has been waiting for almost
two years for the FAA to comply with all
the provisions contained in the Reauthorization
Act.
Additional topics discussed at the
meeting concerned an opportunity by
the FAA for an environmental mitigation
pilot program. Stacey Gilbert from
the Port Authority expects to submit applications
for these grants that are open
to private, business and government
entities. Hersh Parekh, Director of Government
and Community Relations-Aviation
Redevelopment New York, Port
Authority, explained the pilot program is
a grant for mitigation technologies and
are proven in a laboratory setting.
Important to note the legislative effort
by State Senator John Liu and Assembly
Member Edward Braunstein to
codify the Perimeter Rule at LaGuardia
Airport. The legislation is viewed
as an effort to further protect constituents
from excessive aircraft noise from
potentially heavier, larger, and lower
flying aircraft over residential communities
in northeast Queens. Nationally
recognized noise expert, Dr. Arline
Bronzhaft, talked about the importance
of collecting data, and the ongoing
noise study conducted at New
York University that is placing noise
monitors on windows. The Eastern
Queens Alliance, a federation of civic
association of southeast Queens has
a small citizen science grant from the
state, and is participating in the study.
The data is vital for dispelling the notion
that aircraft noise is an annoyance
rather than a national public health
problem. Further comments led to a
discussion how elected officials, who
have seats on the Airport Roundtable.
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