Editorial: Secure flight or cheap flight?

OPINION: The obvious question for all Kiwis, especially those given to globetrotting, after reading yesterday's story about an alleged attempt to blow up an aircraft over the United States at the weekend, is "what would you rather have?"

To clarify, the story was headlined "Travellers to the US face delays and body searches" and it detailed how those of us planning to fly to the United States are likely to be subjected to much more rigorous security checks and consequently possible delays as well in order to be able to do that. They may also face higher airfares to pay for increased security.

This comes in the wake of the apparent attempt by a Nigerian, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, to blow up a plane flying between Amsterdam and Detroit, before he was overpowered by passengers and crew.

Clearly, while there is widespread relief at the foiling of this alleged terrorist plot – even if there was only one man involved – the fact that he was able to board the Northwest Airlines Airbus with the explosives he attempted to detonate has got nerves jangling in the aviation world again, and rightly so.

It's a timely reminder, more than eight years removed from the atrocities of September 11, 2001, that safety and security is not something that can be taken completely for granted anywhere in the world, on the ground or in the air.

Of course, the United States remains the number one target for possible terrorist attacks, given its ongoing military presence in Afghanistan and Iraq. So it comes as no surprise either that this latest plot was directed against that country or that the US has reacted quickly by seeking to beef up security on flights heading there. It's a no-brainer, really.

Getting back, then, to the original question, which begs elaboration – would those planning to fly to the United States prefer to have: (a) a flight that is as cheap as possible with a minimum of fuss at check-in time and the frisson of excitement that comes from not knowing if any of the other passengers plan, and have the wherewithal, to blow the plane up or, (b) a more expensive flight, preceded by exhaustive security checks, which comes with the knowledge that there is virtually no chance of anyone committing an act of terrorism that might bring the plane down?

Of course, no security regime is completely foolproof. There will always be those who try to circumvent such measures and from time to time, someone will succeed.

But it's surely preferable, given the reminder the weekend's incident was, to know that the security surrounding one's flight is as rigorous as it gets.

- © Fairfax NZ News