A New Burden for Airlines: U.S. Exit Proposal

(MoneyWatch)  On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a proposal for how to deal with non-U.S. citizens departing the U.S. Will it surprise you to hear that it's a disaster for the airlines?

If you're an American citizen, you may not know that most foreign travelers are now required to have their fingerprints and photos taken when they come into the U.S. Now, the DHS is proposing that these travelers also have their fingerprints and photo taken when they leave the U.S. so that the government can do a better job of keeping track of people coming in and out of the country. Now, we could sit here for hours debating whether or not fingerprinting and photographs are the best way to welcome people to the country, but that's a discussion for another day.

Instead, let's just assume that it's the right thing to do. So why do I say it's a terrible plan? When people come into the country, it's the U.S. Customs and Border Protection people that take the fingerprints and photos. Now look at the fine print of this plan. DHS wants the airlines to be responsible for the fingerprints and photos of people who leave the country. Arrrrrrggggggghhhhh!

I think the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has done an admirable job of defending the airlines lately. I really like what the director general has said on a number of issues, and this one is no different. Here's what Mr. Giovanni Bisignani had to say in a recent IATA press release:

"Border protection and immigration are government responsibilities. Airline counter staff are not a substitute for trained border patrol officers. And outsourcing exit formalities to airlines is not a responsible approach."

The airlines already have fuel prices stacked against them. The last thing they need is some very expensive government program to make their lives even more difficult. Even forgetting about costs, it is just a bad idea to have airlines be responsible for exit duties. Let's hope someone in the government realizes that.