美国政府决定从8月4日开始，停止施行已经两年，禁止乘客带普通打火机上飞机的政策。美国运输部认为，在乘客登机前搜索他们身上是否携带打火机，根本是浪费时间。 2001年当鞋子炸弹客芮德意图在从巴黎飞往迈阿密的班机上，用火柴引燃藏在鞋子里的炸弹後，美国政府在国会的坚持之下，终於宣布了禁带打火机上机的命令。 ( u) c. s$ V- [) X 6 O4 u& L0 T& h6 [- K4 y
Cigarette lighter ban 'a waste of time': US h6 h2 N8 A$ a8 V
US authorities will no longer enforce a two-year-old ban against taking cigarette lighters on planes because searching passengers wasted time and did not improve aviation security, the New York Times reports. : \* G; a# V, P) U: N0 i. u/ S; }0 G& F+ W3 H* ~
The ban on lighters was ordered by US lawmakers after a passenger, Richard Reid, tried to ignite a bomb in his shoe in 2001 on a flight from Paris to Miami.! y# a1 r4 G/ ~) F; I
( R ~0 G- {' e* O& `0 K; eReid, known as the "shoe bomber", had used matches to try to ignite explosives concealed in his shoe and is currently serving a life sentence for trying to blow up the transatlantic flight.% w X7 d. u& e$ l
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US authorities have never tried to ban matches from flights.7 a) _' ?) ]7 d6 s A( i
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US Transport Security Administration assistant secretary Kip Hawley says the ban on lighters did not significantly enhance security because small batteries could be used to detonate a bomb. 4 D, n! k1 F+ i6 Q& X0 `Mr Hawley says lifting the prohibition will free up security officers to spend more time looking for bombs or bomb parts.- q% i# M* d' f4 J0 g
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"The number one threat for us is someone trying to bring bomb components through the security check point," he said. 0 h/ Z- P/ p& Q4 h# I. { : c3 {2 v' @9 W+ ~$ P. L& p+ x"We don't want anything that distracts concentration from searching for that." 0 h7 k6 Z. A5 ?$ \+ p" D 4 v2 u. |& v BThe policy change is to take effect on August 4 and applies to disposable butane lighters and refillable lighters. + A( Y( X' V( l' U . }: r- _! |# a3 F1 j( FThe New York Times says some 22,000 lighters a day are collected by security officers at airports across the United States and disposing of the confiscated lighters has cost about $US4 million a year.
