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This year aviation security has been dominated by the US Electronics Travel Ban, which came to an end last July. As of Thursday, October 25, 2017, new security procedures have been implemented globally on all flights heading to the US. Airlines that fail to comply with the new security screening procedures fully will face a return of the electronics ban.
The measures coming into force were announced last June, and airlines were given 120 days to implement them fully. The procedures are expected to impact more than 325,000 passengers arriving from 105 countries around the world. The new measures include:
- Expanded explosive trace detection procedures
- Possible short interviews with each passenger at check-in and before boarding
It is expected that the new standards will cause delays. Airlines across the globe, from Lufthansa to Cathay Pacific and Singapore, are all asking their passengers to arrive earlier at the airport to accommodate the new changes. Cathay Pacific has even had to cancel its downtown check-in service for passengers heading to the US. One of the hardest hit airports will be London Heathrow which has over 145 flights per week to the US.
Our Take
Improved security measures are something to be welcomed. However, most airlines are chaffing against the new rules, and are not particularly pleased with their unilateral nature and the fact that they have been kept relatively in the dark about specific threats. Unfortunately, while travelers to the US have several options to expedite security and screening upon arrival or when leaving the US, almost everyone will have to put up with delays caused by these new measures.
Source: Reuters
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How good this does not effect wait times during busy rush hour at major airports
Do you know if there are going to be changes to the US pre-clearance procedures and timings done in Canadian airports?
We do not.
So glad I have my Global Entry application in process…good bye lines! — nevermind, that will only help when entering and not leaving foreign countries I guess. Oh well :/
Just another reason to get Global entry / TSA pre-check.
This doesn’t seem to bad. Some more questions and checks.
I would think that interviews would slow getting through security immensely. I wonder what could you ask in a quick interview that would effectively uncover anything. Are you carrying a bomb? Are you a terrorist? I would think the default answer would be: no, I’m just visiting my…
Well, we’ll see what’s to come of this. I hope it does what it’s supposed to do.
I’m fine with this as long as it doesn’t cause massive queues.
We’ll see how this works out. I heard the little interview is more or less the questions that some airports have already been asking ppl…like did you pack your bag yourself, etc. Just to see if anyone will get nervous. I’ve had these questions before at FRA and it doesn’t really delay anyone any more than usual. Have you heard something different about the little interview?
And yet TSA still doesn’t catch things much of the time.
As usual this is another poorly thought out plan rushed to implementation.
My hope is that the added security won’t slow down lines a lot more. Waiting times can be unbearable already.
We’re going to a wedding in Mexico next weekend. Hope things aren’t too confused while this is all new.
Additional security is always good, however sound like the strategy wasn’t thought out well causing additional delays for passengers.
I don’t expect it to really cause extra delays unless passengers start to get cranky and cause a rukus. However, I shall test it out today – traveling. I hope I wont need to report back later with a rant. Security is a good thing overall. I hope it makes a difference.
Does this really make us safer?
That is the intent.