April 6, 2010

Department of Homeland Security Announces Updated Aviation Security Procedures

On April 2, 2010, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced changes to aviation security procedures.  The accompanying press release noted that airline passengers entering the United States "may notice enhanced security and random screening measures throughout the passenger check-in and boarding process, including the use of explosives, trace detection, advanced imaging technology, canine teams, or pat downs, among other security measures."  DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano stated, “These new measures utilize real-time, threat-based intelligence along with multiple, random layers of security, both seen and unseen, to more effectively mitigate evolving terrorist threats.”  The updated measures will take the place of temporary procedures introduced by DHS following an attempted Christmas Day attack on a Northwest Airlines flight.  While the temporary procedures included heightened security screening for citizens of fourteen countries, the press release noted that the "new security protocols…will apply to all passengers traveling to the United States."

The announcement by the Department of Homeland Security came on the same day as the release of Surface Transportation Security Priority Assessment, a report providing an evaluation of transportation security systems in the United States and recommendations for their strengthening and improvement.

Additional information and the full DHS press release can be found here and here.