Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly announced new security measures that will affect all commercial flights entering the U.S. from abroad, during a speech before security experts Wednesday afternoon.
But he stopped short of imposing a global laptop ban, like the laptop ban he imposed on 10 airports in the Middle East and North Africa. Instead, Kelly said a range of new measures would be required for other airports, and said those failing to meet the new requirements could face a laptop ban and possibly a ban on flights, although he said he expected most airports to comply.
“I’m concerned that we are seeing renewed interest on the part of terrorist groups to go after the aviation sector. However, we are not standing on the sidelines while fanatics hatch new plots,” Kelly told attendees at the Center for a New America Security conference in Washington, D.C.
“It’s time that we raise the global baseline of aviation security,” he added. “We cannot play international whack-a-mole with each new threat.”
Kelly said the new measures, both seen and unseen, will be phased in over time and will make it harder for terrorists to succeed by limiting their ability to use aviation for their purposes.
“They will include enhanced screening of electronic devices, more thorough passenger vetting, and new measures designed to mitigate the potential threat of attacks,” said Kelly.
“We will also lay out a clear path to encourage airlines and airports to… adopt more sophisticated screening approaches, including better use of explosive detection canines and advanced checkpoint screening technology,” added Kelly.
Kelly said DHS will encourage more airports to become pre-screening locations because it increases convenience for international passengers and improves the Transportation Security Agency’s ability to secure flights.
In March, Kelly announced devices larger than handheld devices would not be allowed on flights from select cities in the Middle East and North Africa.
