Security to Beef Up for Flights to the United States
Joe Cortez November 06, 2015
Amid fears of terrorism, new security protocol will be added for select flights inbound to the United States.
After speculation that the Metrojet crash in Egypt could attributed to an act of terrorism, the Department of Homeland Security announced new security measures for certain flights bound for American soil. In a media statement, Homeland Security secretary Jeh Johnson outlined a number of interim measures to ensure the safety of incoming flights while the investigation continues.
“These enhancements will supplement U.S. aviation security requirements currently in place at all of foreign last-point-of-departure airports, as well as the additional security enhancements I directed last summer at certain foreign locations,” Johnson said in the statement. “Many of those enhancements have also been adopted by our European allies.”
The plan calls for primary measures to be added to commercial flights returning to the United States. The DHS will mandate “expanded screening” of items that will ultimately go on aircraft, including checked luggage. In addition, the DHS is asking for additional assessment of airport security protocol at international airports, while offering their assistance at “certain foreign airports” around the world. The plan also calls for “additional measures,” which will both be flyer-facing and behind-the-scenes at airports.
Johnson’s comments and plan are revealed following a high point of scrutiny for the Transportation Security Administration at home. During a House Oversight Committee hearing on Tuesday many of those shortcomings were brought to light, including the failed detection of mock weapons and explosives.
“If [Kogalymavia (7K) Flight 9268] is a bomb, it shows the weaknesses that can be there,” Rep. Peter King, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, told NBC News. “It’s even more so with planes leaving from overseas and you have American passengers on them.”
New evidence from the investigation into the crash of 7K9268 suggests a bomb may be responsible for bringing the Airbus A321 down in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. Although no airlines operate directly into Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport (SSH), Johnson said the new security measures are being implemented to “provide an additional layer of security for the traveling public.”
[Photo: Getty Images]
Singapore has excellent security. When checking in for a flight they interview each passenger while going through their checked bags in their presence. They bring the bags to where they are checked in and are no longer in the control of the passenger.