Unfortunately, nothing but bad news came out of the aviation sector this past week, as one Nigerian tried to blow-up a Northwest-Delta jet while on approach into Detroit-Metro airport from Amsterdam. Undoubtedly, this has caused a few bumps for travelers this week, since the TSA is enforcing new rules upon passengers to keep the skies safer this holiday season. Delta / Northwest flight attendants believed a second attempt was underway after a Nigerian man spent over an hour in the bathroom on the exact same Amsterdam-Detroit flight (see video)- it turns out, he only suffered from food poisoning.
While Al-Qaeda reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack on Christmas day, it’s still unknown how strong the man’s link with Al-Qaeda is.
If you are traveling in the near future, plan to get to the airport extra early; especially if you’re traveling on an international flight. Some airlines have guides posted on their websites, regarding what to expect in terms of timing and safety regulations. The latest reports indicate TSA’s mandates for on-board safety are now under the jurisdiction of the pilot’s discretion.
