Fri, Oct 29, 2010
BA Chairman Calls Some Checks "Redundant"
The European Union, and at least one UK airline, are questioning
security measures that have been put in place for flights bound for
the United States. Some of the measures being challenged are the
requirement for passengers to remove their shoes, and the separate
x-ray examination of laptop computers.
The EU has issued a formal challenge to a U.S. mandate that
European travelers be subjected to online security checks before
they are able to board a flight to the U.S., according to the
New York Times. Europeans are allowed to enter the U.S.
without visas, which U.S. officials say is the reason for the
online checks. But EU officials say the process is overly
burdensome, and have expressed concerns about where and for how
long the data is stored.
British Airways chairman Martin Broughton, however, went further
in his criticism of U.S. security policies in a speech at the
recent U.K. Airport Operators Association conference. Broughton
said that the process of having passengers remove their shoes so
that they can be x-rayed, along with the practice of separately
scanning laptop computers, is "redundant." He said that Europe
should not concede, his word was "kowtow" to every U.S. demand when
it comes to security measures. The British pilots' union, the
operators of Heathrow Airport, and security consultants in both
countries have agreed with Broughton.
One London analyst, Chris Yates, told the New York
Times that, while safety should still be the number one
concern, that there are a "whole bunch" of rules that could be
phased out. He specifically mentioned the shoes, which he called a
"knee jerk" reaction to the actions of Richard Ried, who tried to
take down an airplane using explosives hidden in one of his shoes.
Yates said newer metal detectors would easily find bomb components
hidden in such a way.
In a statement, The U.S. Government responded to the EU
challenge by saying that it would continue its ongoing review of
security measures "based on the latest intelligence."
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