The Consumer Travel Alliance feels that this effort is a step in the right direction for airport and airline security. Unlike the whole-body scanners that have not been fully tested, that admittedly cannot detect many explosives in powder form or when hidden in body cavities, and that subject Americans to the indignity of a virtual strip search, ETD provides an acceptable layer of security. It is focused on explosives, it has been tested extensively over years of use, and the method is non-invasive, protecting personal dignity.
The Consumer Travel Alliance emphasizes that this security procedure and the others utilized at airports are not the
first line of defense against terrorist activity. The real guts and focus of our nation’s antiterrorist activities must be intelligence gathering and effective coordination between agencies responsible for updating and maintaining our terrorist watchlist.
Policies must be put in place to deal quickly with false positives such as from passengers who may have been fertilizing their lawn or planting shrubs prior to arriving at the airport; for anyone legitimately engaged in hunting, shooting activities or simply striking matches; for anyone taking nitroglycerin
for medical purposes or working with explosives. These are all know to produce false positives. Even a very small percentage of false positives will create a negative perception of these new security procedure.
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
