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Failed security tests conducted at 70 US airports mean that reforms could be on their way, as Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson has stated that staff need to be retrained and scanning equipment needs to be retested. ABC News reported that 70 airports across the country were tested in a variety of ways to determine how effective the existing security protocol was, and that bombs, explosives, and weapons were only detected by three of the airports in question.
In one instance, an undercover agent was able to clear customs with a fake bomb strapped to his back, despite passing through the scanner and even undergoing a pat down by security staff. The results would indicate that the country that once took air security more seriously than any other, following the 9/11 attacks, has let its guard down, but passengers are unlikely to be ecstatic at the possible introduction of any additional checks.
Surveys and complaints have shown, in recent years, that passengers are not happy at the extensive waiting time that they have to endure when going through security checks. The US is also in talks with a number of countries, including the UK, to have pre-screening checks implemented in their airports. These would allow passengers that are bound for American soil to be checked before they board the plane, therefore reducing the time everybody has to wait at the other end.
Airport security is big business, and a number of controversial moves have been taken in recent years. When security is stepped up or tightened, typically because of credible intelligence that suggests an imminent terrorist threat, it means that taking liquids onto planes and the carrying of electronic items is prohibited, while so called naked scanners were implemented in airports across the world.
The technique of patting down has also come under scrutiny, with passengers claiming that it is an invasion of their personal rights. However, such checks are vital, with terrorists and bombers looking for new ways in which to cause havoc.
Bombs have been disguised as baby bumps, turned into underwear, and testing has shown that explosives disguised as cakes and other items can also get through customs checks. The introduction of 3D printing, and the apparent proliferation of plastic guns, which would not set off metal detectors and sensors in airports, were also cited as being a major concern.
While it is impossible to know exactly how many plots have been foiled because of the checks, many passengers have come to accept them as being an essential part of travel, but it is fair to say that they were more accepting in the years after 9/11, and as time has passed they have begun to more readily express their disdain at the length of queues and the amount of time it can take to pass through customs and security checks while in airports. Pre-screening is one solution, but that may now be delayed until new airport security reforms are introduced.
In one instance, an undercover agent was able to clear customs with a fake bomb strapped to his back, despite passing through the scanner and even undergoing a pat down by security staff. The results would indicate that the country that once took air security more seriously than any other, following the 9/11 attacks, has let its guard down, but passengers are unlikely to be ecstatic at the possible introduction of any additional checks.
Surveys and complaints have shown, in recent years, that passengers are not happy at the extensive waiting time that they have to endure when going through security checks. The US is also in talks with a number of countries, including the UK, to have pre-screening checks implemented in their airports. These would allow passengers that are bound for American soil to be checked before they board the plane, therefore reducing the time everybody has to wait at the other end.
Airport security is big business, and a number of controversial moves have been taken in recent years. When security is stepped up or tightened, typically because of credible intelligence that suggests an imminent terrorist threat, it means that taking liquids onto planes and the carrying of electronic items is prohibited, while so called naked scanners were implemented in airports across the world.
The technique of patting down has also come under scrutiny, with passengers claiming that it is an invasion of their personal rights. However, such checks are vital, with terrorists and bombers looking for new ways in which to cause havoc.
Bombs have been disguised as baby bumps, turned into underwear, and testing has shown that explosives disguised as cakes and other items can also get through customs checks. The introduction of 3D printing, and the apparent proliferation of plastic guns, which would not set off metal detectors and sensors in airports, were also cited as being a major concern.
While it is impossible to know exactly how many plots have been foiled because of the checks, many passengers have come to accept them as being an essential part of travel, but it is fair to say that they were more accepting in the years after 9/11, and as time has passed they have begun to more readily express their disdain at the length of queues and the amount of time it can take to pass through customs and security checks while in airports. Pre-screening is one solution, but that may now be delayed until new airport security reforms are introduced.