All incoming flights to the United States will be subject to new security screening procedures before take-off, including both American citizens and foreigners possibly facing security interviews from airline employees, the US government said Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Both American air carriers and global airlines must comply, affecting all the 2,100 flights from around the world entering the US on any given day. The directive is far broader than an earlier Trump administration ban on laptops inside the cabins of some airliners, which only targeted 10 Mideast cities and their airlines.<\/p>\n
Confusion greeted the new rules. While five global long-haul carriers said they would begin the new security interviews on Thursday, each offered different descriptions of how the procedure would take place, ranging from a form travelers would be required to fill out to being verbally quizzed by an airline employee. Other carriers insisted their operations remained the same.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe security measures affect all individuals, international passengers and U.S. citizens, traveling to the United States from a last point of departure international location,\u201d said Lisa Farbstein, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Transportation Security Administration. \u201cThese new measures will impact all flights from airports that serve as last points of departure locations to the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n
The new rules come at the end of a 120-day window for new U.S. safety regulations to be implemented following the lifting of the laptop ban imposed on some Mideast airlines.<\/p>\n
They include \u201cheightened screening of personal electronic devices\u201d and stricter security procedures around planes and in airport terminals, Farbstein said. She did not elaborate.<\/p>\n
Details of the new rules first became apparent in a statement by Dubai-based Emirates, which operates the world\u2019s busiest airport for international travel.<\/p>\n
In the statement, Emirates said it would begin carrying out \u201cpre-screening interviews\u201d at its check-in counters for passengers flying out of Dubai and at boarding gates for transit and transfer fliers. It urged those flying through Dubai International Airport to allow extra time for flight check-in and boarding.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese measures will work in complement with the current additional screening measures conducted at the boarding gate,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. said on its website that it had suspended self-drop baggage and downtown check-in services for passengers heading to the U.S., who \u201cwill be subject to a short security interview\u201d when checking their luggage. Those without bags would have a similar interview at their gates. Singapore Airlines passengers may be required to \u201cundergo enhanced security measures\u201d including inspection of personal electronic devices \u201cas well as security questioning during check-in and boarding,\u201d it said on its website.<\/p>\n
Air France said it would begin the new security interviews on Thursday at Paris Orly Airport and a week later, on Nov. 2, at Charles de Gaulle Airport. It said the extra screening would take the form of a questionnaire handed to all passengers.<\/p>\n
EgyptAir said in a statement the new measures include more detailed searches of passengers and their luggage as well as interviews. It said the procedure would extend to unauthorized agricultural or veterinary products.<\/p>\n
A statement by Germany\u2019s Lufthansa Group said that \u201cin addition to the controls of electronic devices already introduced, travelers to the U.S.A. might now also face short interviews at check-in, at document check or (at their) gate.\u201d Lufthansa Group includes Germany\u2019s largest carrier, Lufthansa, as well as Austrian Airlines, Swiss, Eurowings and several other airlines.<\/p>\n
Royal Jordanian, based in Amman, said it would introduce the new procedures in mid-January. Spokesman Basel Kilani said it would take the form of a questionnaire given to passengers before check-in. He said he didn\u2019t know what kind of questions would be asked.<\/p>\n
US carriers also will be affected by the new rules. Delta Air Lines said it was telling passengers traveling to the U.S. to arrive at the airport at least three hours before their flight and allow extra time to get through security. United declined to comment, while American did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n
The International Air Transport Association, which represents 275 airlines, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, Vaughn Jennings of the trade group Airlines for America said that while the new rules include \u201ccomplex security measures,\u201d US. officials have been flexible.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe safety and security of passengers and crew is the highest priority for US airlines and we remain committed to ensuring the highest levels of security are in place throughout the industry,\u201d Jennings said.<\/p>\n
However, not all were convinced of the new measures\u2019 effectiveness.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe part of the new measures I don\u2019t like is that airline personnel are being put back into the security screening process,\u201d said Jeffrey Price, an aviation-security expert at Metropolitan State University of Denver. \u201cAirline ticket agents aren\u2019t always the best at conducting security measures.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is just the latest decision by President Donald Trump\u2019s administration affecting global travel.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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