Sen. Charles Schumer called on airlines to stop servicing foreign airports with security practices that don't meet American standards, according to NY1. In a move he hopes will close the "gaping holes" in overseas air travel security, the senior Democratic senator wants carriers to report any security issues at foreign airports and threaten boycotts if measures aren't changed.
"You don't have to be Albert Einstein to realize that flights that originate in foreign countries pose a greater danger," he said. "There's a perfect storm for airport security overseas. Lax security checks, complacent government officials, and terrorists who exploit them. There's been some time and effort spent trying to close those loopholes but the Christmas Day terror attempt must be a wake up call to show that much more needs to be done."
Schumer also wants the government to impose penalties on countries whose airports that don't comply with US security regulations, and he wants the State Department to review all travel visas for anyone whose name has been added to terrorist databases, according to the Post. His demands come after 23-year-old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to explode a plane over Detroit by sneaking explosive powder stitched into his underwear through security in Nigeria and Amsterdam. Since then, airports have made moves to bolster security — but there have already been some major lapses.
