EU to hold aviation security meeting

Due to Tuesday’s bombing, European Union aviation security experts will next week discuss ways of strengthening airport security after the attacks in Brussels on Tuesday that killed at least 31 people.

The European Commission, the EU executive arm, will host a meeting of aviation security experts from the 28 EU states on March 31, an EU Commission official said. A meeting of land transport security experts would be held on April 11.

There is no defined agenda for the meetings at the moment, but the Commission official ruled out stricter measures being imposed at EU level.

“Security is a national prerogative,” the official said. “The Commission will not impose on a small airport in Finland the same security measures that may be required for major hubs such as Brussels or Paris.”

Asked whether security scanners may be installed at airport entrances, the official said that would be a decision to be taken by national authorities.

Adding landside screening at airports might be costly and not improve security, the trade association of European airports, ACI Europe, said.