In order to ensure that terrorists are not able to enter the United States, the department of Homeland Security wants airlines to introduce rigorous security checks on passengers who are traveling to America from certain specified airports.
The new rules will be announced by the US Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly and compliance of these rules would be mandatory for lifting the existing laptop ban on carrying such devices as cabin baggage. This ban is, at present, applicable to airlines that operate flights to the US from a few selected airports located in the Middle East and Africa.
The intention is to weed out people who may pose a threat and, once they are segregated, the genuine travelers can be at ease and travel in comfort.
The proposed system
Sky News reports that the changes will be introduced gradually and would include different aspects of vetting of the passengers and detection of explosives to eliminate possibility of any threat to the airline. When a terrorist explodes a device in midair it means loss of hundreds of innocent lives which must be prevented.
In the course of a speech at the Centre American Security, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly has remarked that the enemies are adaptive and, in order to tackle them, the security mechanism must rise to the challenge and be equally adaptive.
He also indicated that some of the checks would be visible while others would be in the background and cautioned that failure to comply with them could lead to not only laptop bans but also ban on carrying large electronic items in totality apart from loss of authorization to fly into the United States.
Effect of ban on laptops
Laptops have become an integral part of our lives, especially for businessmen, professionals and students. Therefore, on long distance flights, they use them to maintain continuity of work even when on the move. The existing laptop ban affects only one section of foreign airlines that fly to the United States from 10 specific cities located mostly in the in the Middle East.
These passengers are not allowed to carry laptops as cabin baggage but have to surrender them as checked-in baggage.
The reason of the ban is believed to be based on intelligence inputs that terrorists could smuggle a camouflaged explosive device in larger electronic items. Hence there was a need to isolate such items so that the owner did not have ready access to teem. It was decided to put such items in the baggage hold. That procedure was introduced in March and could be extended to include some European airports. The bottom line is to ensure safety of the passengers in the air from acts of terrorism.
The decision did not go down well with a section of passengers because they hated to part with their laptops that hold important and sensitive data, but the ban is necessary since it is an anti-terrorism measure and in the interest of society.
