Detection of explosives, traceability of commercial detonators and exchange of passenger data will be on the agenda when officials from the USA's Transportation Security Administration attend a European Commission meeting on air transport security next month.
"Some of the severest problems have been caused on transatlantic flights due to the requirements imposed by the USA, some of which go beyond what are considered reasonable," says a senior European Union source.
"They are requesting 100% passenger screening at the gate in addition to the normal requirement, which is creating a nightmare at some of our airports," the source adds. "The USA always has attached more importance than the EU on passenger screening in advance of flight and there is indeed the possibility of detecting suspect people by doing this. But Europe cannot do the same as long as privacy laws are established, so we are expecting to have some complicated discussions on this issue."
Source: Flight International
