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Airport traffic will carry on Effect of new federal baggage security measures shouldn't be felt locally immediately By JILL BRISKEY Mail Tribune Federally imposed baggage screening requirements go into effect today across the nation, but airport officials say the procedures shouldn't create problems locally. Larger facilities, however, are gearing up for costly time delays. And Medford airport Director Bern Case said those delays could have a ripple effect for passengers coming into or catching connecting flights from the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport. Tips on adapting to security rules Call airlines in advance and find out how early you should arrive. Be prepared at larger facilities to wait two hours. Locally, arrive up to one hour early. Report to the gate well in advance of the fight. Case said passengers who arrive a few minutes before take-off will most likely be turned away. Case suggests packing lightly during the next few weeks, taking as little baggage as possible. "We'll know more in a couple of days," he said. "The challenge may be systemwide." The new regulations, part of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act passed in response to Sept. 11, require airlines to screen all checked baggage for explosives. Airlines can inspect bags through hand searches or with bomb-sniffing dogs or equipment that can detect traces of explosives. Case wouldn't say which method is being used in Medford. Airlines locally also will continue to conduct random or suspicion-prompted luggage screening, he said. Under the new rules, airlines also must ensure the passenger who checked the bag is on board the first flight segment of his or her itinerary. At Medford, that means passengers will board planes and then the luggage will be loaded, Case said. Each piece must be matched to a passenger. If passengers are not on board when the flight leaves, their baggage can be removed. However, the new rules don't require airlines to remove the luggage when passengers cannot be found. Critics say the concession, announced Wednesday, leaves aircraft vulnerable to bombs timed to explode on a connecting flight. "It's certainly not perfect," Case said of the plan. By the end of the year, airlines will be required to search all checked bags using an explosive detection system. Case advises passengers to arrive early for flights in the coming few weeks and be patient until the new rules become standard practice. Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.