TSA to Lift Ban on Lighters

Filed in archive Aviation News on July 26, 2007

Got a light? On August 4, air passengers will be allowed to carry-on lighters again. Congress banned lighters in 2005 after fears the shoe bomber, Richard Reid, would have succeeded if he had a light. The move is expected to allow airport screeners more time to search for explosives and other harmful devices.

Starting Aug. 4, air travelers will be allowed to carry-on disposable butane lighters, such as Bics, and refillable lighters, like Zippos, the Transportation Security Administration announced Friday. But torch-style lighters, which have hotter flames, will still be banned.

"Explosives remain the most significant threat to aviation," said TSA administrator Kip Hawley. "By enabling our officers to focus on the greatest threats, we are using our officers' time and energy more effectively and increasing security for passengers."

Lighters are the leading item seized at airport checkpoints, an average of more than 22,000 a day. It costs TSA $4 million a year to dispose of them because they contain hazardous materials.

Congress banned lighters from flights after Richard Reid used matches to try to light explosives hidden in his shoes while on a Paris-to-Miami flight in 2001. Lawmakers worried that Reid might have succeeded if he had had a lighter. The lighter ban took effect in April 2005.

The United States was the only nation in the world to prohibit carry-on lighters, and last year Congress gave the TSA administrator discretion to drop the ban if he decided it was not enhancing aviation security. Other items which are not banned can be used to ignite a bomb, including matches and small batteries.

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