WASHINGTON: All incoming flights to the United States will be subject to new security screening procedures, including both American citizens and foreigners possibly facing security interviews from airline employees, a US government official said on Wednesday.
The announcement from the US Transportation Security Administration comes after five global long-haul airlines — Air France, Cathay Pacific, EgyptAir, Emirates and Lufthansa — said they would begin the new security interviews starting Thursday. A sixth carrier, Royal Jordanian, said it would begin the new procedures in mid-January after US authorities granted its request for a delay in implementing the measures.
However, the airlines offered different descriptions of how the interviews would take place, ranging from another form a traveller would have to fill out to actually being questioned by an airline employee.
The new security measures come after the Trump administration previously rolled out a laptop ban and travel bans that have thrown the international travel industry into disarray.
The new rules also come at the end of a 120-day deadline for airlines to meet new US regulations following the ban on laptops in airplane cabins of some Mideast airlines being lifted.
“The security measures affect all individuals, international passengers and US citizens, travelling to the United States from a last point of departure international location,” said Lisa Farbstein, a spokeswoman for the TSA. “These new measures will impact all flights from airports that serve as last points of departure locations to the United States.”
The International Air Transport Association, which represents 275 airlines, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
What’s in store for fliers
Passengers headed to the US will be questioned before boarding aircraft. Screening questions may include purpose of trip
Some carriers, such as Air France, plan to get fliers to fill out a short form. Others will begin pre-screening interviews at check-in desks or at boarding gates
Enhanced screening for electronics. For now, passengers are free to bring laptops or other electronic items on board
Increased electronic and physical security around aircraft on the ground and more use of sniffer dogs
New rules apply to all inbound flights to the US from 280 airports across 105 countries, affecting approximately 2,100 commercial flights and 3,25,000 passengers daily