By Greg Grisolano
ggrisolano@joplinglobe.com
Anthony DeMarco was expecting the worst Monday morning when he boarded his flight at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, three days after an attempted terrorist attack on an international flight into Detroit.
“I expected more delays, more lines at security,” said DeMarco, who flew to Joplin to visit a friend for the holidays. “But there wasn’t anything like that at all.”
The Transportation Security Administration announced tougher airline security measures after a man who flew from Nigeria to Amsterdam and then to the U.S. on a Northwest Airlines flight tried to ignite an explosive as the plane prepared to land on Christmas Day.
A spokesman for the TSA did not return a phone call Monday seeking comment about the new regulations. The Associated Press reported that the government is keeping most details of the changes under wraps to prevent terrorists from knowing about the security measures.
The AP reported that some airlines are banning the use of electronic devices in flight and are further restricting the movements of passengers in the cabin while planes are airborne.
DeMarco said he did not notice any changes during either of his flights on Monday.
“Honestly, I travel maybe three or four times a year,” he said. “I didn’t notice anything different this time.”
Friday’s incident made Ken Fillmore, a frequent flier, nervous about traveling for his company on Monday.
“I know they do a lot of security, but nothing is perfect,” he said while waiting to board a flight at the Joplin Regional Airport. “It seems like most of those (terrorist incidents) are usually at major airports. I’m not as worried about the little ones.”
Fillmore, who flies two or three times a week for his company, said more security regulations during flight probably wouldn’t faze him.
“Most of the time, I sit still in my seat,” he said. “I wouldn’t have a problem with that.”
Regional airport directors who were interviewed Monday said they don’t foresee the changes affecting travelers while they are in the airport.
“It’s really not going to mean anything for Joplin,” said Steve Stockam, director of the Joplin airport. “The passengers out of Joplin shouldn’t notice any changes unless they are going international.”
Stockam also said there are no new restrictions as far as compounds that can be carried on planes.
“I am not hearing of any domestic screening checkpoints making any changes,” he said. “We require an hour prior to flight time. That’s not changed.”
Officials with Springfield-Branson National Airport, Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport and Tulsa International Airport all said they are continuing to recommend that passengers arrive at least 90 minutes before a scheduled departure to make it through security.
“What could potentially change is they may do some secondary checks at the gate and do a secondary screening prior to boarding,” said Gary Cyr, director of the Springfield airport. “If you’re going out of Kansas City, you might want to look at a two-hour window depending on what TSA decides to initiate. With us, an hour and a half will pretty much get you through, even during our big push.”
