Extra airport checks bring more chaos to f lights for US
BRITONS flying to the US face enhanced security measures at airports from today.
Everyone on transatlantic flights could be questioned before boarding, under new orders from the American government.
Budget airline Norwegian, which operates to the US from Gatwick, Belfast and Edinburgh, is among six airlines to confirm tighter screenings will start today.
The extra checks will range from passengers filling out questionnaires to being interviewed by airline employees.
Air France, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Lufthansa and EgyptAir, also confirmed they will start the screenings today. Others are expected to follow suit.
But there was confusion over the UK’s two main operators, British Airways and Virgin. BA declined to comment just saying ‘all its flights continue to operate as normal.’ Virgin said it did not ‘anticipate any disruption to customers.’
Passengers flying to the US have been urged to turn up at the airport early amid fears the extra checks will cause delays.
According to the latest figures more than four million Britons travel to the US every year.
The measures are meant to apply at all airports offering direct flights to the US. In the end this could affect 325,000 passengers on 2,000 flights arriving daily in the US, on 180 airlines from 280 airports in 105 countries.
Some airlines have already complained about the extra checks arguing they will create longer queues at airports.
The tighter controls were unveiled by the Trump administration at the end of June, with airlines given 120 days to comply. They followed a decision to lift a ban on passengers carrying large electronic devices on flights from ten mainly-Muslim countries.
That had been introduced in March amid concerns that Islamic State fighters and other extremists could hide bombs in them. The UK imposed a similar ban which is gradually being lifted.
Only last week Elaine Duke, Donald Trump’s acting Secretary of Homeland Security, said jihadists were using crude knife and van attacks to keep their members engaged and their finances flowing as they plot another ‘big explosion’ similar to the September 2001 atrocities. The security chief, who has served three presidents, said: ‘Terrorist organisations, be it ISIS or others, want to have the big explosion like they did on 9/11. They want to take down aircraft, the intelligence is clear on that.’
The US Department of Homeland Security has requested the extra checks but insists that it is up to airlines what extra vetting they introduce.
However it has warned that airlines which are slow to adopt the measures will face strict sanctions which could mean their flights are suspended..
A spokesman said: ‘We are continuing to implement efforts to raise global aviation security. These measures, both seen and unseen, include enhanced screening of passengers and electronic devices.’
A Norwegian airline spokesman said: ‘These new measures mean our passengers travelling to the US need to plan for more time at the airport to answer a series of questions during check-in.
‘Further details will be shared with our passengers prior to departure.’
A Department for Transport spokesman said: ‘It is for the US to determine its own security measures based on its own assessments, just as we do ourselves. We work closely with all our international partners to keep aviation security under constant review.’
‘They want to take down aircraft’