The Transportation Security Administration is allowing operators to increase progressively the time for which international waivers are valid. Any operator who has a 90-day waiver coming up for renewal now can request a six-month waiver. Once an operator has a six-month waiver, it can get a one-year waiver. The holder of a one-year waiver coming up for renewal can request another one-year waiver. Anyone else, including new applicants, can request up to a 90-day waiver.

The waiver system was instituted after 9/11 and requires U.S.-registered aircraft without waivers to stop at one of eight portal countries before returning to their destination in the U.S.