U.S.-bound passengers could face interviews before boarding their flight, as part of additional screening requirements that authorities are demanding because of continued terrorism concerns, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Several airline companies, including United Continental Holdings Inc., notified customers that the Department of Homeland Security now requires additional security measures for all international flights to the U.S.
According to The Journal, measures could include additional screening with questioning of some or all travelers.The company also advised passengers to arrive at airports at least three hours before the flight to allow for the additional screening.
“The new directive requires passenger pre-screening interviews at the check-in counter for originating passengers and at the boarding gate for transfer and transit passengers,” the Emirates Airline, the world’s biggest international carrier by traffic, said.
The requirements for interviews are part of a wider set of security enhancements the U.S. began rolling out in July, The Journal adds. The Department of Homeland Security has provided few details on its additional security demands, noting that they would include deployment of advanced technology and use of explosive detecting dogs.
Passengers from some Middle East countries had their travel plans disrupted when the Trump administration in January implemented a travel ban on some citizens from the region. However, the ban was disputed by U.S. courts, but still managed to cause chaos for several at big international hubs.
The U.S. in March then imposed a ban on carrying laptop and other large electronic devices inside the cabin of planes inbound from 10 airports in the Middle East and North Africa, The Journal notes.
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