International confusion following the Christmas Day attack on an American flight left many students wondering whether their travel plans would be disrupted. However, many students returning to school after the holidays were more concerned about flight delays and cancellations than the possibility of another terrorist attack.
“I wasn’t scared to fly at all,” said Andrew Lohuis, a first-year engineering student at Carleton University returning from Calgary. “Flying in Canada isn’t that big of a deal. If I was flying into the States it would be different,” he said.
One student returning from Israel, who wishes to remain anonymous, was not even aware of the attack.
“There was a Christmas Day terrorist attack?” he asked.
After the failed attack, many airports added enhanced security measures. The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority implemented a no carry-on baggage policy for all flights from Canada to the United States that caused delays as passengers had to check additional baggage.
“Security was ridiculous,” said Isabelle Hamel Carassi, a Michigan post-grad student about her flight from Toronto to Detroit. “I was allowed one carry-on item, but I couldn’t have any personal belongings on me during the flight. No electronics, magazines or anything. I wasn’t even allowed to get my sweater out of my bag when I got cold,” she said.
“You weren’t even allowed to go to the bathroom. When somebody went to the bathroom the pilot made an announcement asking him to return to his seat immediately,” Hamel Carassi said.
She said her flight was delayed by half an hour due to the enhanced security measures.
The heightened security measures also delayed first-year Carleton University engineering student Adam Marmoush in Egypt.
“It took a lot longer because there were more security stops,” Marmoush said. “I was travelling with my Canadian passport though, so I didn’t have anything to worry about.”
Some students travelling within Canada were luckier.
“I didn’t notice a lot of extra security. They just asked you a lot of questions about what you’re bringing,” said first-year Carleton University student Omar Refaat, about his flight from France. “They were very strict about the weight with carry-on luggage and you were only allowed one piece,” he said.