According to the US National Transportation Security Bureau, this decision was made as part of the fight against terrorism. However, domestic experts claim that the ban on lighters is nothing other than another lever of influence on European airlines by the US authorities.
From now on, lighters are prohibited not only in carry-on luggage or pockets, but also in passengers' checked baggage. Moreover, it doesn't matter what the passenger has in his pocket - Pierre Cardin lighters or ordinary disposable ones. All citizens will undergo additional pre-flight screening. And since plastic disposable lighters are not detected by metal detectors and are difficult to distinguish in bags, the screening may take a long time, which will inevitably cause additional inconvenience. In addition to lighters, a ban is also introduced on carrying certain types of matches that ignite from friction against any hard surface. Such matches have multi-colored heads. Ordinary matches, which ignite only from the box, can be carried, but no more than 4 packs and only in carry-on luggage. It is strictly forbidden to put them in checked baggage.
"We are not authorized to give any comments on this order of the US authorities," stated the press center of Aeroflot. "The new requirements are mandatory for all airlines operating on transatlantic routes. The ban on carrying lighters applies not only to our citizens, but also to Europeans. Moreover, the same ban is in effect on domestic US flights. Unfortunately, the miniature size of many lighters requires security services to conduct more thorough screening. Employees will manually inspect bags and pockets, which may cause complaints from passengers. However, we are obliged to comply with international air transport requirements."
Already now, the sale of lighters in sterile terminal zones is prohibited. Apparently, lighters will soon be removed from all shops in airports. So all smokers flying to the US will have to get rid of lighters, whether it is a cheap gas one or an expensive petrol one. If they wish, passengers can check their favorite lighter into a storage locker, but given the cost of the locker, the lighter will cost its owner a pretty penny.
The US National Transportation Security Bureau believes that lighters pose a potential threat to aviation. For example, in 2001, a passenger on the Paris-Miami flight, Richard Reid, attempted to set off a small explosion on board the aircraft. In the massive heels of his boots, explosives were planted. After takeoff, the man inserted a fuse into his boots and tried to ignite it with ordinary matches, but unsuccessfully. Alert passengers smelled smoke and subdued him. An FBI investigation showed that had the terrorist had a gas lighter instead of unreliable matches, he could easily have blown up his boots, and with them, 200 people on the plane. Since then, the US Congress has several times considered the possibility of banning lighters in civil aviation. Finally, after four years of discussion, the National Flight Safety Service achieved its goal. Lighters were banned.
This provision caused many complaints from major airlines. According to specialists, it is very difficult to find a lighter, especially in baggage. There is always a chance that some passengers will simply forget to take it out of their bag and head to the US. If they then get caught at customs control, problems are unavoidable. Airlines face substantial fines or, worse, a temporary ban on flights to America.
"This looks very much like another way to influence competitors," an aviation security expert, who wished to remain anonymous, told Novye Izvestia. "The Americans are putting pressure on European airlines that are being recalcitrant. Of course, our carriers also get caught in the crossfire. But there is nothing to be done. Indeed, the ban on lighters is a very big overreaction. After all, a lighter itself is not an object of heightened danger. With a lighter, you can set something on fire - for example, a bomb's fuse or a container with an incendiary mixture. But this can also be done with matches or other sources of open flame. Moreover, it is desirable that passengers learn about the ban when buying tickets, that is, in advance. Otherwise, a lot of unpleasant things happen at checkpoints. People part with their belongings simply because no one warned them."