The new air transport security measures announced yesterday afternoon in Washington by the US Secretary of Homeland Security (Department of Homeland Security), John KellyThe aim is to prevent any further acts of terrorism. " Our nation is the daily target of terrorists, criminals, pirates, nation states and more. Air travel is particularly targeted to spread fear, disrupt our economies and our way of life. Air travel is a bit like the flagship of our lifestyle "he explained to an audience of experts at a conference on security.
After having banned electronic devices from cabins The government is to introduce a new series of measures to reinforce security on certain airlines. No details have been given, but the measures are due to come into force shortly.
" The measures will be visible and invisible to passengers and will be applied to all commercial flights landing in the United States. They will be phased in over time "said the Secretary of State.
inaction by partner countries will not be an option
The Trump administration will " encourage "airlines and airports to adopt more effective more sophisticated screening approachesincluding the detection of explosives and checkpoints with integrated cutting-edge technologies for threat detection. The term encourage "John Kelly's phrase is in fact diplomatic. " We want to send a clear message: inaction by partner countries will not be an option. Those who choose not to cooperate or delay in adopting these measures could be subject to other restrictionsincluding a total ban on electronic devices on their aircraft, or even a suspension of their flights to the United States "said the Secretary of State.
The measure should therefore rapidly apply to 180 airlines and 280 airports around the world. That's the equivalent of 2,100 flights and 325,000 passengers on average every day.
Two pieces of good news
There is, however, two pieces of good news for passengers in this series of measures. Washington wants to extend the number of airports benefiting from the gateway status for the United States. These airports allow passengers to clear customs and immigration before boarding a flight to the United States. This makes it possible to control the flow of passengers, but also tospeed up formalities on arrival in the United States. The second piece of good news is that the new security measures will probably make it possible to lifting restrictions on electronic devices. IATA has already welcomed the Department of Homeland Security's new measures. At the same time, it points out that the hasty timetable for applying these stricter control rules will be difficult to put in place in a very short space of time...
