Irish case cited in airport security study

AN EU study has ruled out introducing a system of reduced airport security checks for low-risk passengers because of fears security would be compromised.

It cited the example of a pregnant Irish woman, who was innocently duped into carrying a bomb on board an El Al flight from Heathrow to Tel Aviv in 1986 by her Palestinian boyfriend, as one of the main reasons why such a system could not work.

The EU Commission, which commissioned the report, hoped to examine the feasibility of a “registered passenger” scheme that would identify groups of passengers with a low risk to aviation security who could be exempted from certain controls.

Additional security measures for air passengers came into place in the summer of 2006, with restrictions on the carrying of liquids and gels against a background of terrorist threats to aviation since 9/11 in 2001.

The EU shares the concern of the aviation and travel industries that the attractiveness of air travel could diminish due to the continuing terrorist threat, security restrictions and rising passenger numbers.

Many travellers at EU airports face considerable delays passing through security checkpoints.

However, the study concluded a registered passenger scheme is not possible without compromising passenger safety.

It identified the case of Anne Murphy, a hotel chambermaid who was six months pregnant and on her way to marry her fiancé Nezar Hindawi in Israel.

British security authorities discovered a bomb, which had been planted without her knowledge by her boyfriend, in her carry-on bag as she boarded a plane in Heathrow on her way to Tel Aviv on April 17, 1986.

Mr Hindawi was subsequently given a 45-year prison sentence.

The example of Ms Murphy, who lives in Wicklow, was given as a reason why exemption to security checks or access to lighter security checks are not feasible, stated the report. It claimed her case provided the “example of the innocent dupe”.

It also pointed out terrorists could also successfully enrol in such a scheme because they might have no previous record to suggest they posed a threat.

“The fact that passengers are not classified as ‘high-risk’ does not automatically mean they qualify as ‘lower than average’ risk,” it observed.

The study recommended the best method of improving the current security situation at airports is to introduce accelerated checks through the use of additional screening facilities and improved technology.