ALEXANDRIA, Va. – May 12, 2006 -- The American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) and its internal service organization, the Transportation Security Clearinghouse (TSC) is the largest civilian clearinghouse in the nation, processing both Criminal History Record Checks (CHRC) and name-based background vetting requests for the aviation community. To date, the AAAE has facilitated over 2,000,000 biometrically-based and 1,100,000 biographical background checks through the association’s Clearinghouse, the TSC. The TSC became operational under demanding timelines in support of the nation’s response to the events of 9/11 to secure the nation’s transportation infrastructure. In addition to being the leader in transaction volume, the TSC is also the fastest and most cost effective credentialing system performing these same services today.

The TSC is a non-profit arm of the AAAE organization that operates under agreement with the TSA to ensure CHRC (i.e. FBI background vetting checks) are accomplished for aviation workers who require access to the secure areas of airports. Operating since 2001, the TSC has:

• Reduced the average response for aviation worker background checks from 52 days to 4 hours, with many checks occurring in a matter of minutes.
• Reduced the cost (fee) per record for the aviation community to $29 (of which $22 goes to the FBI). By comparison, HAZMAT truckers utilize a system provided by private industry and pay around $100 to accomplish related CHRC checks.
• Implemented the first high-speed, secure network for fingerprint transmissions to the TSA.
• Successfully achieved an industry low error rate for fingerprint transmissions to FBI of 2% through value-added processing prior to submission (the average government error rate is 8%).

The reduction in time, from months to hours, to process CHRC checks in aviation has produced savings in the hundreds of millions of dollars in personnel costs for an industry struggling to achieve financial success. The TSC has developed a highly flexible, open platform capable of accepting multiple forms of identity and vetting information via secure network from over 400 enrollment centers around the nation and abroad. For more information on the TSC’s history and customer reactions, see http://www.aaae.org/_pdf/_secpdf/TSCArticle.pdf.

In addition to the aviation worker vetting program, the TSC, in partnership with TSA, also supports background record checks for other key programs, including: • General aviation crews operating aircraft over 12,500 lbs;
• General aviation crews and armed security officers flying into Reagan Washington National Airport;
• Commercial charter pilots;
• Foreign applicants under the Alien Flight School Program and;
• Contract screeners at private screener airports.

The TSC has recently been selected by TSA to facilitate background checks and application elements for federal Transportation Security Officer screener candidates.

In order to support providing these best-value services to customers outside of the aviation and transportation community, AAAE recently participated in forming a new company called the Security Biometric Clearing Network (SBCN). SBCN will perform defined technical functions under subcontract to the TSC, as well as provide similar technical services, and full system solutions, to non-transportation industries. By expanding the volume of records that utilize the clearinghouse, the TSC expects to gain additional operational efficiencies and price reductions for all its customers, while continuing to exceed all service level commitments.

MORE ON SBCN and TSC

The Security Biometric Clearing Network (SBCN) is a for-profit service provider that will seek to enhance biometric networks and vetting services for both transportation and non-transportation industries.

Daon and the AAAE have joined to create the SBCN. Daon, the leading provider of biometric identity software and services around the world, currently performs work for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and others. In the U.S., Daon has partnered on major programs with an array of leading companies including Anteon, Accenture, BearingPoint, CSC, IBM, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Unisys and others.

SBCN’s mission is to operate as a lowest-cost, world-class provider of technical biometric and biographic based services for security networks. SBCN will operate defined technical services under contract to the TSC, while TSC employees will continue their focus on customer service relationships, network management, accounting, monitoring service level agreements, compliance with TSA and customer requirements and related software development. AAAE and the TSC will continue to be solely responsible for compliance with all TSA requirements for current programs. Daon and AAAE have jointly invested in the SBCN, with control provisions that require both partners’ agreement for key items such as budget, executive management selection, and fundamental business decisions.

The SBCN will be governed by a Board of Directors that includes three members appointed by AAAE, three members appointed by Daon and one member selected by mutual agreement. The AAAE-designated board members of SBCN are elected by the Board of Directors of AAAE and serve without compensation. Employees of AAAE do not receive compensation or benefits from public or private companies in which the association has a financial interest.

AAAE’s investment in the formation of SBCN is based upon best practices for non-profit organizations’ finances. A recommended practice in the non-profit industry is to form for-profit entities when intellectual property and services developed by a non-profit have applicability and use in industries or markets outside the organization’s purposes.

More information on the RTIC is available online at http://www.rtconsortium.com/.             

- # # # -