SECURITY INCREASED ON ALL U.S IN-BOUND FLIGHTS

The Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) has implemented several new regulations for U.S.-bound international flights and domestic U.S. flights. All passengers on U.S.-bound international flights must undergo a “thorough pat-down” focused on the upper legs and torso at boarding gates. Passengers must remain seated for the final hour before landing and may not have access to their carry-on baggage or hold personal items -- including electronic devices, reading materials and pillows -- on their laps. Crews are not permitted to make any announcements about the flight path or the aircraft’s position over cities or landmarks while over U.S. airspace. The TSA has warned U.S. passengers to limit carry-on baggage to the extent possible, as passengers are likely to encounter screening delays at security checkpoints. While the new regulations have been implemented primarily on U.S.-bound international flights, there have been reports that the rules have been selectively enforced on domestic U.S. flights. It is not clear how long the new regulations will remain in effect. The new regulations are in response to an attempted terrorist attack on Delta/Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on 25 December 2009. The Airbus A330 aircraft was en route from Amsterdam to Detroit when Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, a Nigerian national, ignited a small explosive device using powder and chemicals in a syringe. Several passengers and crewmembers tackled Mutallab while flight attendants extinguished the fire. There are some initial indications that Mutallab may have received the explosives and training in Yemen prior to the attempted attack. U.S. authorities are investigating claims that Mutallab may have ties to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Mutallab’s father had reportedly contacted the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria, about his son’s extremist activities in November 2009. Mutallab was on a U.S. terrorist watch-list, but was not on a no-fly list or any other list that would have prompted additional screening at airports. U.S. President Barack Obama has ordered a review of airport security.