美国政府决定从8月4日开始，停止施行已经两年，禁止乘客带普通打火机上飞机的政策。美国运输部认为，在乘客登机前搜索他们身上是否携带打火机，根本是浪费时间。 2001年当鞋子炸弹客芮德意图在从巴黎飞往迈阿密的班机上，用火柴引燃藏在鞋子里的炸弹後，美国政府在国会的坚持之下，终於宣布了禁带打火机上机的命令。 " n) g8 J4 }. G& h/ _& [% ] " U8 \. ?3 i ^9 {4 JCigarette lighter ban 'a waste of time': US9 x% P: L* m& J& h: J1 \4 A
US authorities will no longer enforce a two-year-old ban against taking cigarette lighters on planes because searching passengers wasted time and did not improve aviation security, the New York Times reports. / O3 \# c" M) r- {6 g6 W5 ~ ! I, J4 r. @+ i! c- b9 BThe ban on lighters was ordered by US lawmakers after a passenger, Richard Reid, tried to ignite a bomb in his shoe in 2001 on a flight from Paris to Miami.$ E- l' M: n) q; Q- n& R
" N9 _; b3 L) C9 sReid, known as the "shoe bomber", had used matches to try to ignite explosives concealed in his shoe and is currently serving a life sentence for trying to blow up the transatlantic flight.# q4 v7 t9 a) `, I
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US authorities have never tried to ban matches from flights. 9 Q4 ?' u# F* _, H, Q/ o2 V( }+ n# @" a) |
US Transport Security Administration assistant secretary Kip Hawley says the ban on lighters did not significantly enhance security because small batteries could be used to detonate a bomb.- R8 u3 [0 D2 S5 x
Mr Hawley says lifting the prohibition will free up security officers to spend more time looking for bombs or bomb parts. * X6 P) T/ k( g ( [" ?2 k! r. s: p o"The number one threat for us is someone trying to bring bomb components through the security check point," he said.$ B9 y6 c) X. @# u, t4 t
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"We don't want anything that distracts concentration from searching for that." 3 N' L( x) [1 v5 Q s0 e: i ' E/ M9 c( [% {) K Y- K/ AThe policy change is to take effect on August 4 and applies to disposable butane lighters and refillable lighters. ( K4 S; B4 L# q" p5 X0 u9 D1 Z' l+ E( r* Q' g9 C- ?# e
The New York Times says some 22,000 lighters a day are collected by security officers at airports across the United States and disposing of the confiscated lighters has cost about $US4 million a year.
