StarBulletin.com

Security boost gives travelers some comfort


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POSTED: Monday, December 28, 2009

Some international travelers arriving in Hawaii yesterday noticed a bump in security after a brazen attempt to bring down a trans-Atlantic flight to Detroit on Friday.

They reported being body-searched by hand and having their carry-on luggage inspected before entering the terminal gate.

Kailua resident Johnathon Molloy, who arrived from Seoul, said security officers would not allow passengers to bring into the gate water they got after the initial checkpoint.

Asked whether he considered the measures effective, he said, “;Who knows? If they're going to do it, they should do it all the time, not just because an incident happened.”;

Authorities warned travelers to expect extra delays after Friday's incident, which led to stiffer boarding measures for passengers at gates. Another incident aboard the same Detroit-bound flight yesterday only heightened tensions.

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Molloy, who traveled to Seoul from Indonesia, said security was increased at Seoul.

At the departure gate, security officers searched the passengers' carry-on luggage.

On the plane, the crew announced that passengers could not carry personal items or have blankets on their laps for the last hour of the flight.

“;We weren't allowed to hold onto pillows and any belongings, which was kind of odd,”; he said.

New Zealand resident Bronson Daniels, 26, was patted down at the gate in Sydney before boarding a Hawaiian Airlines flight. Security also searched his carry-on luggage.

“;They just opened it up and moved things around,”; he said.

Airport security had already been a hassle before the recent incidents, he said, but he supported the extra measures.

“;In between departures and the gate, I guess there's no chance for people getting dangerous things onto the plane,”; he said. “;If it's going to make us safer, then yes, why not?”;

He said passing through U.S. Customs, where he was interviewed, photographed and fingerprinted, was more intimidating.

In Sydney, airport security agents dabbed his wife, Keao Daniels of Mililani, with white tape to test for explosive powder, a security measure that Daniels had undergone before.

A female security officer body-searched Keao Daniels.

“;Kind of expected it after what happened,”; she said. “;It's better that way. You know that you're safer when traveling.”;

The Associated Press contributed to this report.