The Department of Homeland Security is beefing up security measures at US international gateway airports following the Russian jet crash over Egypt a week ago.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said new ‘enhancements’ would focus on employing new protocols for flights departing ‘the region in which the Sinai Peninsula is located.’
Russian airline Metrojet’s Airbus A321-200 crashed just after takeoff from the Sharm el-Sheikh airport in Egypt killing all 224 passengers and crew.
"These measures are not being taken in response to a specific threat to the homeland but it is the prudent exercise of an abundance of caution given the information that U.S. officials have learned about this airline disaster in the Sinai Peninsula," Earnest said.
The new security measures will affect passengers at fewer than 10 airports in the region.
According to a NBCNews report, these will include Cairo, Kuwait City and Amman, Jordan.
"While there are no direct commercial air flights from Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, to the United States, these enhancements are designed to provide an additional layer of security for the traveling public, DHS secretary Jeh Johnson said.
He gave no specific details of what the new security screening will entail, other than confirming there would be enhanced baggage screening and security assistance offered to the relevant airports.
