New Security Screenings Begin for All Airline Passengers Bound for U.S.

New security screenings began on Thursday for all passengers on flights bound for the U.S., with airlines across the globe questioning flyers about the trip they are taking and their luggage in the latest decision by the Trump administration affecting worldwide travel.

American airlines as well as global ones must comply, affecting every one of the more than 2,100 flights from around the globe that enter the U.S. on a daily basis.

The directive is much broader than an earlier ban by the White House administration banning laptops inside cabins on certain airlines, which only targeted 10 cities in the Mideast and their airlines.

The latest rules to be added were met with confusion by many. While five long-haul air carriers said they would start the new security interviews Thursday, each offered their own description of how that procedure would be carried out, ranging from a form to be filled out be travelers to being questioned by an employee with the airline.

Other carriers said their operations would remain the same, while several others said they were given permission to delay the implementation of the new regulations until January of 2018.

A spokesperson for the United States Transportation Security Administration said the security measures affected all travelers, U.S. citizens and international passengers alike who were traveling from an international departure point into the U.S.

The latest rules come as the window of 120 days ends for the new safety regulations in the U.S. that will be implemented following the lifting of the ban on laptops for some airlines in the Middle East.

The new rules include heightened screening for personal electronic devices as well as stricter procedures around planes and at airport terminals.

At the world’s busiest international airport, in Dubai, Emirates started questioning its passengers about the luggage they had, liquids they carried and where they had arrived from.

Passengers had to also have carry-on bags searched, as well as electronics. It urged passengers flying through the Dubai airport to allow for additional time for checking in and boarding.

U.S. carriers will also be affected by the latest rules. A spokesperson for Delta Air Lines said the carrier was telling its passengers traveling from outside into the U.S. to arrive a minimum of three hours prior to their departure and allow for additional time at screening locations.

Other carriers who made an announcement about the new regulations included Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways, Air France, the Lufthansa Group in Germany as well as Egypt Air.