The airport apparently also has lax security according to some aviation experts.

Which is why the Egyptians have been banging on about how it couldn't possibly be a terrorist bomb ever since the crash was reported.

Given that the aerial/satellite photo of the plane on the ground shows that it is missing everything behind the wings, it appears that a fairly substantial bomb was placed in the rear cargo hold.

How lax? On a scale of "pitiful"?

TSA airport screeners’ ability to detect weapons declared “pitiful” | Ars Technica

As always, the first part of the investigation is to determine where the points of the plane ended up.

I agree with Pulaski, the wreckage indicates that whatever happened happened behind the wings - although the rear pressure bulkhead collapsing would show a similar pattern - blowing the tail off.

Has there been any indication of how far the tailplane was from the rest of the wreckage?

I'd bet my house that if a device was smuggled on board, it didn't even pass through security.
Usually when Sky news get an expert on to talk about something, they proceed to talk out of their arse! However, just had an interesting chat with the ex LHR security director. As someone that worked in security for 6 years, 3 as a trainer, and who now works at a US airport, what he said was correct and actually very very frightening.
If you work at an airport in Europe, as a member of staff, you are subject to full security screening. When I was on the airfield, I was probably subject to 4 or 5 security screenings a day. It was a total pain in the arse, but no one or nothing got airside without being screened. When the liquid bomb was attempted, the DfT basically locked down airside. No one could get in for their shifts, I ended working a 16 hour shift and we were parking planes on any available piece of Tarmac. It was chaos (although also a great shift)!
Now I work in the US. My airport is typical. No security to go through. You can't just walk airside willy nilly, obviously, but there is no strict landslide airside barrier like the UK. Europe is the ONLY place in the world that requires 100% of staff to be screened when going landslide to airside. Anyway, anyone about to board a plane, enjoy, LOL.

Unless things have changed since I worked at Heathrow, not all who work at the airport get a full screening.

I used to walk through the metal detector. It would go off, and I would open my jacket so staff could see the weapon(s) I was carrying and then I proceeded airside. I was never subjected to a search in the 10 years I was there. Neither were any of my colleagues. I was happy to be searched and thought we should be, as while we all had security clearance to a very high level that still didn't prevent a possible bad apple just made it more unlikely.

What would be the point of searching someone that was carrying a weapon LOL. Police were subject to full search procedures unless they were carrying a weapon. As just about every cop was carrying at the very least, an asp, they were rarely searched. There was one special branch guy in T3 who never used to carry his asp as the holster ruined the lines of his suit LOL. Really nice fella, had been there years, I always used to feel slightly uncomfortable searching him even though he was more than happy to undergo search procedures. Warranted officers used to be exempt, meaning immigration & customs officers were exempt, but the DfT knocked that on the head before I moved out on to the airfield.

Seems to be some restrictions on checked luggage now on some airlines.

Travel Alerts - Flights - IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR MONARCH CUSTOMERS RETURNING FROM SHARM EL SHEIKH TO THE UK – LUGGAGE RESTRICTIONS | Flights News - Monarch

Latest flight information - KLM.com



Obviously it would have to be smuggled on, I meant security in general at that airport, not specific to passenger or employee screening.


Remind me not to work at an airport in Europe, what a pain in the rear, TSA made working at airports miserable enough, the big ones anyhow.

Yeah, I know. How dare the DfT be so strict on staff. I mean, a worker would never smuggle something through LOL.


Seems like a right cluster**** out there at the minute. Most of the flights heading out there seem to be doing u turns and heading home.

But that is the problem, once you start making exceptions you start creating loopholes. The biggest threat to security was always staff and assuming some were above reproach just opens the door.

I totally agree, although searching an airport cop that's carrying an MP5 does seem a little pointless to me. Plus with the stab vests makes a meaningful search almost impossible anyway. i guess the theory is if you are a sworn warrant holder, you are too honest to smuggle anything airside. We all thought that was ridiculous, luckily, the DfT realized this too. Funnily enough, cops and customs officers who ended up getting searched were fine with it. The ones with a real chip on their shoulders and who we always had trouble with were the twats in immigration!

Hasn't been an issue in North America so why create more mess then needed with the TSA?

TSA and their "security" are not exactly honest and aside from routinely failing tests, also have an issue with their agents stealing.

Yeah "the 9/11 approach" - don't fix the problem until at least one catastrophe has occurred, is a great way to manage airport security!

The US had the very stupid attitude of not checking staff going airside for years, fortunately they have wised up. Rigorous checking of staff at Heathrow foiled an attempt on an aircraft departing from there. To say it hasn't been an issue in the US is beyond belief. One you cannot know what has happened at any airport in the US, and 2 it left a gaping hole ready to be exploited by those that wanted to. I don't doubt for a minute there are people working at US airport who have extreme views. There certainly were at Heathrow.

Except airport security didn't fail that day, intelligence well above the airport level is what failed. Every item used was legal that day to be on board.

I have 0 faith in airport security guards with minimal education and training which is what the TSA guards largely are.

The TSA security guards are the weak link.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/0...n_7485558.html


I am fine with properly trained, efficient, and actual real security, but the TSA is not that, they are a facade putting on a show everyday to make people feel safe.