New U.S. Airport Security Rules Take Effect
Starting Thursday, boarding a plane on all United States-bound flights will mean stricter passenger screening. The new security measures are being put in place to avoid banning in-cabin laptops.
Changes to the pre-boarding security screening process will affect 325,000 passengers entering the U.S. on a daily basis. About 2,000 commercial flights from 105 different countries arrive in the U.S. every day.
The new government requirements to board airplanes could include short security screening interviews either at the boarding gate or at check-in.
The U.S. government announced the new rules in June, giving airline companies 120 days to prepare.
The regulations were implemented in order to “end the government’s restrictions on carry-on electronic devices on planes coming from 10 airports in eight countries in the Middle East and North Africa in response to unspecified security threats,” according to Reuters.
In March, the Trump administration had ordered a ban on carry-on laptops. The restrictions were eventually removed, but the administration said if airlines and airports did not boost their security, the measures could be reimplemented on a case-by-case basis.
Air France, Cathay Pacific, EgyptAir, Emirates and Lufthansa will begin implementing the new security measures on Thursday. Royal Jordanian Airlines were granted a delay by the U.S., and have until mid-January to start implementing the new security measures.
“In addition to the controls of electronic devices already introduced, travelers to the U.S.A. might now also face short interviews at check-in, document check or (their) gate,” Germany’s Lufthansa Group said in a statement.
TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein told CBS News that the new security screening would be for all passengers, including U.S. citizens.
“The security measures affect all individuals, international passengers and U.S. citizens, traveling to the United States from a last point of departure international location,” Farbstein said. “These new measures will impact all flights from airports that serve as last points of departure locations to the United States.”
Airlines in Korea and China have expressed their concern over the new security features.
“We see this as a big issue for China Airlines,” said Steve Chang, senior vice president of the Taiwanese firm.
“We are asking customers to show up at the airport early. … It’s just inconvenient for the passengers,” Walter Cho, president and chief operating officer of Korean Airlines, told Reuters.
Cathay Pacific Airways has said in-town check-in and self-bag-drop services will no longer be available on direct flights to the U.S. They also advise passengers to arrive three hours before their departure time. (For more from the author of “New U.S. Airport Security Rules Take Effect” please click HERE)
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