That is one of the key elements that the DHS/TSA-complex doesn't seem to understand at all. By definition, you can't remain at "heightened" or even "elevated" status permanently. Worse, leaving everyone at heightened status for extended periods dulls what modicum of effectiveness such a rating scheme might have. Nobody cares anymore after a while. Kind of like when pilots end up leaving the seatbelt sign on for an entire ocean crossing--do they really expect pax to not use the lav for 6 or 8 or 10 hours?

Since we've been stuck at Orange for 2+ years, if something happens or is about to happen, the only thing they can do is go to red. From what little I've heard about red, it seems to be some combination of police-state and martial law.

I think the reason aviation has been stuck at Orange is for TSA to justify the war on water and total shoe carnival, both of which accompanied the 8/05 increase to Orange. I think TSA may actually have some understanding of how much the public hates these policies and be using Orange to get compliance from the masses.

I personally think the DHS color-code scheme is more likely to be abolished than ever lowered below yellow. The reality is that it's been 7 years since 9/11, and it's long past time to accept the key lessons (i.e., don't cooperate with hijackers, secure cockpit doors), drop the charade of "heightened" security, and move on. I'm not saying future attacks are unlikely, but the public is much more likely to respond to heightened security during a credible threat or the aftermath of an attack than they are if security has been "heightened" throughout recent memory.