Security was strengthened at airports across the country Saturday, one day after investigators say a passenger to blow up an airplane en route to Detroit using a mix of powder and liquid that failed to detonate.
Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab of Nigeria was formally charged Saturday afternoon in a Detroit federal court with attempting to destroy an airplane with a destructive device.
At LaGuardia Airport in Queens Saturday, passengers were prepared for long lines and tougher security.
They said they were grateful that anything more serious had been averted and while the attempted attack scared them, they were not making any changes to their travel plans.
Extra pat-downs before boarding. No getting up for the last hour of the flight. More bomb-sniffing dogs. Airports worldwide tightened security a day after a passenger tried to light some kind of explosive on a flight into Detroit.
NBC News reports the new steps include:
*Pat downs of passengers at airport security, concentrating on the upper torso and legs;
*Physical inspections of all carry-on bags at the gate;
*Requiring all passengers to be seated for the full hour prior to arrival;
*Banning the use of blankets and pillows one hour prior to arrival.
The Transportation Security Administration wouldn’t say exactly what it was doing differently on Saturday. It didn’t need to since travelers described the tightened security, especially for international flights bound for the United States.
Passengers on a flight from New York to Tampa on Saturday morning were told they must remain in their seats and couldn’t have items in their laps, including laptops and pillows.
Passengers on a United Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Washington were not allowed to have anything on their laps during the descent into Dulles, or to open the overhead bins an hour before landing, said Nehmi Klaassen, 32, who made the trip on Saturday.
(Source: MSNBC / NY1)
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5 Responses
One of the new security measures wil be “Banning the use of blankets and pillows one hour prior to arrival”.
Does that mean that if I’m sleeping they’ll just pull the pillow and blanket away from me?
What’s next? Banning the wearing of underwear because that’s where he had the explosives sewn in?
I think the best idea would be that we just ban all muslims from getting on any non-muslim countries airplanes? Let them fly on their own airliners.
Why don’t ever hear these guys attacking an Arab Airlines like Emirates?? Why is it Delta or American airlines?
*Requiring all passengers to be seated for the full hour prior to arrival;
*Banning the use of blankets and pillows one hour prior to arrival.
Ok Bin laden change the plan 2hrs B4 landing thats when we detonate the powder.
I would advise;
1- NO private carry ons, you won’t starve if you don’t have mommy’s tuna sandwhich, if yes then go by ship.. I’d rather stay alive.
2- A thorough check fin kup biz feece in the pockets etc.. even some kind of room that someone would have to get totaly undressed give out his/her clothes 2 B checked just the way the shoes are checked. Again don’t like don’t fly a plane – go fly a kite!!
I heard that on one flight they had everyone hand-cuffed & blind folded, pilot included….. But only for the last hour of the flight.
If airlines would stop being so gready, and allow people to check luggage without all these extra fees than it makes sense to allow 1 carry on.
Banning all carry on is rediculous even with in domestic flights. (1) People have medicines and valuable things (labtopbs, etc.) which they need and are afraid to check in their luggage in case it gets lost. (2) What do you expect people to do with their time if they are stuck in the air port for 10 hours and then have a 7 hour flight? Sit and stare into space?