UK, US To Redouble Efforts To Ensure Airport Security

by Mike Godfrey, Tax-News.com, Washington

26 November 2015

In a speech before the House of Commons on November 23, 2015, UK Prime Minister David Cameron committed to increase spending to ensure safety at airports in the UK and internationally.

Cameron committed to invest GBP2.5bn and employ over 1,900 additional staff. This will involve more than doubling the UK's spending on aviation security around the world. In addition, the UK Government has said it will make a major investment in a new generation of surveillance drones.

Earlier, on November 6, 2015, Jeh C. Johnson, the US Secretary of Homeland Security, said the United States had identified a series of interim, precautionary enhancements to aviation security with respect to commercial flights bound for the United States from certain foreign airports from the region around Egypt.

He stated: "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, and will be undertaken in consultation with relevant foreign governments and relevant passenger and cargo airlines."

"These enhancements will supplement US aviation security requirements currently in place at all of foreign last-point-of-departure airports, as well as the additional security enhancements I directed last summer at certain foreign locations. Many of those enhancements have also been adopted by our European allies. The enhancements include (i) expanded screening applied to items on aircraft, (ii) airport assessments in conjunction with our international partners, and (iii) offers of other assistance to certain foreign airports related to aviation and airport security, as well as additional measures, both seen and unseen."

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