People taking their technology with them on holiday are likely to experience even tighter security when passing through the airport, after the American government has become worried about potential bomb threats from terrorist organisations.
American intelligence is worried about the terrorist group Al Qaeda working with other groups to develop explosives that can’t be traced by current security systems in airports. As such, they are adjusting their security, and ordering countries with direct flights to the USA to do the same.
As a knock on effect, many countries in Europe are also upgrading their security.
There are fears of several ways that explosives may be smuggled onto planes, including having them surgically inserted into passengers and by having bomb components hidden inside tablets and smart phones.
This means that for anyone wanting to take technology on board airplanes, devices could cause them to be extra scrutinised. In the UK, you could be refused access to the airplane if you have technology that won’t turn on, as it has been warned battery compartments can be used to smuggle explosives. So if you are heading abroad, make sure you charge everything up before leaving the house.
One traveller told RT that “There were a lot of bags being taken aside… when they came out the other side, for extra searches. There seemed to be a lot of frisking going on too.”
Nick Clegg has said that he can’t make any prediction about the future, but that he doesn’t want “people to think that this is just a sort of blip for a week. This is part of an evolving and constant review about whether the checks keep up with the nature of the threats we face.”
If you are travelling soon, as many people will be, heading out on their summer holidays, then just be aware of the higher security checks and that your laptops, tablets and phones may put you under closer scrutiny, especially when travelling to the U.S.A.
