Giovanni Bisignani, head of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) labels the current air security situation an “incredible…unbelievable mess” and calls for improvements.
“The hassle factor is absolutely unacceptable at many, many airports around the world,” he said.
IATA Director-Security Ken Dunlap also said body scanners “don’t belong” as primary screening methods.
IATA suggested a plan of security checkpoints that allow pre-screened passengers to walk through airports without any screening.
The agency’s future passenger security concept calls for electronic data pre-screening before flights.
Passengers would then be divided into three categories. These are known traveler, regular and enhanced. Checkpoints would be divided into three lanes, with IATA saying about one-third would go through the "high speed" known traveler lane, almost two-thirds though the regular lane and only ten percent through the most enhanced security line.
"The bottom line to all of this is everyone gets screened," Dunlap noted.
Passengers under this plan would receive screening but at different levels.
Walk through, high-tech tunnels of the future could replace screening equipment, IATA says.
Dunlap said that is possible within a decade.
By David Wilkening
