Before I came to Airport Business, I spent 15 years working for a law enforcement publication. So when I spotted the news headline that passengers would now need to power on their cell phones at the airport, I felt like this was a long time in coming.
You see back in 2008, I wrote an article about cell phones being used to detonate an explosion. I wrote about this topic in 2010, and again in 2012. It’s not new. And it’s something I know a bit about, as over the years I specialized my writing focus into two main categories: terrorism and mass shootings.
Let's not forget that cell phones detonated the bombs that destroyed public transportation in Madrid and London in 2004 and 2005 respectively; terrorists also planned to use them to bomb commercial U.S. flights in August 2006.
Cell phones used in bombing attacks? Definitely not new.
What IS new is the TSA has added security measures requiring people flying to the United States on direct international flights to power up their phones before they are allowed on board.
The new guideline is aimed at airports that have a direct flights to specific U.S. airports, though the TSA declined to name the airports it’s concerned about.
The TSA states the new rules are a preemptive response to terrorist groups’ attempts to make their explosives harder to detect. This definitely is a concern. In fact, two bombs capable of bringing down an airplane were discovered on a U.S.-bound cargo plane in 2010. The explosives were to be detonated by cell phone and also contained parts of the mobile phones’ electrical wiring.
I’m glad the TSA is finally doing something about this. It certainly adds another level of safety to air travel. I just am surprised it took them this long to do it.
I guess the old saying, “Better late than never” applies here. At least this time, the new rules weren't in response to a catastrophic incident.
