US travelers seem to be divided on whether airport screening actually does makes air travel safer.
Also, many US air travelers believe fast-track screening could even hinder airline safety.
Public perception of airport screening was gauged in a Harris poll, conducted in March with 2,234 US respondents.
Just 48% of air travelers think screenings are an effective deterrent to hijackers while 43% believe Transportation Security Administration screenings make no difference to air travel safety.
Opinion was divided on the TSA Pre-Check program, which allows passengers to submit background information in advance and use special screening lines.
Although 79% said it speeds up the screening procedure, 68% also said TSA agents could miss potential security threats.
Despite this, Harris said the findings show a generally positive view of the TSA Pre-Check program, with most believing it improves wait times for everyone, while just 29% of people polled think the personal information required for pre-check is an intrusion of privacy.
Travelers apply for inclusion in the Pre-Check service through one of the government’s trusted traveler programs – Global Entry, Nexus and Sentri – or directly through the frequent flyer program of a major US airline.
The subject of airport security is a hot topic again, after news this week that a teen stowaway managed to elude airport security for hours and flew to Hawaii inside an aircraft wheel well.
