New security measures for commercial flights entering US

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly announced new aviation security measures Wednesday that will affect every commercial flight coming into the United States.

The anticipation to welcome loved ones home at the international gate inside SFO is palpable.

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ABC7 News met Castro Valley residents Margaret Salimi and Jose Alvarez as they waited to greet their teenage daughter returning from a trip to Spain. Neither had heard about the new security measures just announced by Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly for all commercial flights coming into the United States.

"They will include enhanced screening of electronic devices, more fellow passenger vetting and new measures designed to mitigate the potential threat of insider attacks," said DHS Secretary John Kelly.

"It is quite inconvenient," Salimi.

"It's not a matter of national security, it's a matter of national insecurity," said Alvarez.

Secretary Kelly says it's time we raised the global baseline of aviation security. "We cannot play international whack-a-mole with each new threat. Instead, we must put in place new measures across the board to keep the traveling

public safe and make it harder for terrorists to succeed," he said.

"Ugh, I don't know. It's hard to know what's motivating it," said Los Gatos resident Effy Weisfield.

Shirin Alvarez returned to her parents' warm hugs with a story about her security hold up. "I was randomly selected to check my whole bag and that took a while," she said.

She says she was nervous but didn't have anything to hide. Mostly, she's happy to be home.

The new security measures will be phased in over time and will also include advanced checkpoint screening technology.

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