Ban on Lighters Aboard Planes Will Be Lifted

For two years now, the Federal aviation authorities have had a ban on lighters on planes. Lighters of any kind were not allowed onto planes for security purposes. The ban has now been dropped and lighters will be allowed on board Aug. 4th.

The ban was first suggested by Congress in 2001, when a man on a flight from Paris to Miami attempted to set a bomb off in his shoe on the flight.

Since the ban security has collected more than 20,000 lighters a day throughout the nation. Security has found that this is a waste of time to search for lighters because many smokers have found ways of sneaking them on anyways. One common strategy of this is putting more than one lighter in their carry-on bag. That way if one is found, and the officers finish checking, they are likely to be left with an unfound lighter.

Assistant secretary, for the Transportation Security Administration, Kip Hawley, states that the number one threat to airport security is bombs or parts of bombs being brought threw the airport. He says that with lifting the ban on lighters, it will free up more time for officers to be checking and re-checking for bombs, and their parts instead of checking for lighters and holding up flights.

This ban that has been in effect for two years will be lifted and this goes into effect August 4th, 2007. Regular lighters such as Bics, Zippos, and any other refillable lighter will be allowed. Torch lighters, which include a hotter flame will still be banned.

Another reason that lighters being banned is a waste of time is because lighters are not the only way to set off a bomb. It is agreed that they are one of the easiest ways to detonate a bomb, but this can also be done with batteries. Or the old fashion matches, which still till this day matches are and have not been banned on planes.

On the subject of airport bans the liquid ban has had modifications made to it once again. The original ban was that if a passenger had more than three ounces of liquid it would not be allowed on board. The rules have changed for moms who need to carry breast milk for their babies. Women or passengers that need to carry breast milk on board, in containers that contain more than three ounces may do so as long as they have an infant with them. The passenger must declare that they have the breast milk at security or it will not be allowed on.