Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has underscored the importance of international collaboration to ensure the safety of commercial aviation and improve the travel experience for all passengers through trusted traveller initiatives such as US Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) global entry programme.

Addressing delegates of the travel and tourism industry from around the world in the US recently, Secretary Napolitano reiterated the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) continued commitment to facilitating legitimate trade and travel while enhancing security and keeping the American public safe.

DHS is currently piloting a number of programmes to expedite and enhance the international travelling process, including “OneStop,” which is designed to reduce wait times by designating primary inspection lanes for international travellers arriving without checked baggage, and “Express Connection,” which designates customs lanes for travellers who have short time windows between connecting flights.

The Secretary said that shoe bombs continued to be a threat and that for now US air travellers will have to continue to take off their footwear for security screenings. The department has been looking for a technological solution to the shoe problem, she said and remarked, “We’re not there yet, so wear slip-ons.”