Southland international air travelers could be met with heightened security screening in the wake of mounting evidence that the crash of a Russian airliner in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula was caused by a bomb planted inside it, authorities said Friday.
According to investigators, black box recordings recovered from the wreckage of Metrojet flight 9268 indicated an explosion sent the aircraft plummeting to the ground about 25 minutes after takeoff from Egypt’s Sharm el Sheikh airport, killing all 224 passengers and crew aboard.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson today outlined security steps the DHS has instituted, with consultation from the federal Transportation Security Administration.
They include “expanded screening applied to certain items carried onto an aircraft; airport assessment in conjunction with our international partners; and offers of other assistance to certain foreign airports related to aviation and airport security, as well as additional measures, both seen and unseen,” Johnson said. “At this time, these security enhancements are intended only for foreign airports in the (Middle East) region.”
“While there are no direct commercial air flights from Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, to the United States, these enhancements are designed to provide an additional layer of security for the traveling public, and will be undertaken in consultation with relevant foreign governments and relevant passenger and cargo airlines,” Johnson said.
“These enhancements will supplement U.S. aviation security requirements currently in place at all foreign last-point-of-departure airports, as well as the additional security enhancements I directed last summer at certain foreign locations. Many of those enhancements have also been adopted by our European allies,” the secretary said.
Specific details about security enhancements have not been made public, other than there will be more extensive baggage checks, according to broadcast reports.
Los Angeles Airport Police Public Information Officer Rob Pedregon told City News Service that TSA officials would be understandably reluctant to reveal what measures would be instituted.
“TSA is going to take their directives and implement them in their own fashion, but it will be like extracting teeth to get them to say what they’re going to do,” Pedregon said.
As for the airport police, nothing will change, he said.
“We’re always on high alert,” Pedregon said.
The crash of the Airbus A-321 jetliner happened over an area where Egyptian forces have been battling Islamic militants.
Russia and Britain have suspended flights from Sharm el Sheikh, a popular resort area on the Red Sea, while some airlines are routing flights away from the area where the fighting is taking place.
