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Airlines Get Ready for New US Security Rules From Thursday
Washington: New security measures including stricter passenger screening take effect on Thursday on all US-bound flights to comply with government requirements designed to avoid an in-cabin ban on laptops, airlines said Tuesday.
Airlines contacted by Reuters said the new measures, which could include short security interviews with passengers, would be in place by Thursday.
They will affect 325,000 airline passengers on about 2,000 commercial flights arriving daily in the United States, on 180 airlines from 280 airports in 105 countries.
The United States announced the new rules in June to end its restrictions on carry-on electronic devices on planes coming from 10 airports in eight countries in the Middle East and North Africa in response to unspecified security threats.
Those restrictions were lifted in July, but the Trump administration said it could reimpose measures on a case by case basis if airlines and airports did not boost security.
European and US officials told Reuters at the time that airlines had 120 days to comply with the measures, including increased passenger screening. The 120-day deadline is Thursday. Airlines had until late July to expand explosive trace detection testing.
Lufthansa Group said on Tuesday the measures would be in place by Thursday and travellers could face short interviews at check-in or at the gate. Economy passengers on Lufthansa’s Swiss airline have been asked to check in at least 90 minutes before departure.
Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd said it would suspend in-town check-in and self bag-drop services for passengers booked on direct flights to the United States. The airline said passengers would also have short security interviews and it has advised travellers to arrive three hours before departure.
Airlines for America, a US trade group, said the changes “are complex security measures” but praised US officials for giving airlines flexibility in meeting the new rules.
US authorities in June also increased security around aircraft and in passenger areas, and other places where travellers can be cleared by US officials before they depart.
A Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Tuesday declined to discuss the specific changes but said “the United States continues to work with our partners to raise the baseline of global aviation security and keep the entire travelling public safe.”
The TSA said in July it was imposing new security rules requiring US domestic airline travellers to remove all electronic items larger than mobile phones such as tablets, e-readers and video game consoles from carry-on baggage for screening.
Airlines
First Look: IndiGo Takes Delivery of A321neo with New Business Class
India’s largest domestic airline, IndiGo (6E), celebrated its 18th anniversary in August 2024 by announcing a major upgrade: a new Business Class product called “IndiGo Stretch.”
Now, the airline has officially taken delivery of its first Airbus A321neo aircraft fitted with these premium seats. Registered as VT-ICF, this first A321neo with the new configuration took off from Hamburg (XFW) at 6:06 PM local time, operating flight 6E9001.
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The launch route for IndiGo’s A321neo with IndiGo Stretch seats will be from Delhi to Mumbai, starting November 14, 2024. After this initial route, the airline plans to expand the offering across its network.
Airbus completed the final assembly of this special aircraft in Hamburg, where the A321neo Final Assembly Line is located. Enthusiastic planespotters got a sneak peek of the new IndiGo Stretch interior before the aircraft’s official delivery to India.
Tobias Gudat, a planespotter on X.com, captured images of the aircraft, still marked with its test registration, showcasing its fresh Business Class interior.
Adding a distinctive touch, each IndiGo aircraft featuring the Stretch product will have the slogan “IndiGo Means Business” displayed on the fuselage, signaling a new era of premium travel for the airline.
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IndiGo took delivery of the A321neo with the Stretch seats on October 30, 2024, coinciding with Airbus’s delivery of the world’s first A321XLR to Iberia.
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