August 2007
On July 26 the United States and the European Union reached a new agreement regarding the sharing of Passenger Name Record (PNR) data for individuals traveling from Europe to the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the purpose for collecting this data is to detect “potentially dangerous transatlantic travelers” and “to prevent and combat terrorism and transnational crime.”
DetailsBeginning August 4, travelers were allowed to carry on to planes butane lighters, such as Bics, and refillable lighters, such as Zippos. These items previously had been confiscated at security check points, but Federal Aviation Administration authorities recently decided to change the rules, given that the collection of these items slowed down security checkpoint lines and has cost a significant amount of money—about 22,000 lighters were being collected nationwide each day, costing approximately $4 million USD a year for disposal.