Belgium has launched new security measures at Brussels Airport after suicide bombings there in March, taking inspiration from controls at Ben Gurion in Israel, among the most heavily protected airports in the world.
Islamist suicide bombers killed 16 people and injured over 150 in the departure hall of Brussels Airport on March 22. The bombings were part of a coordinated assault on the Belgian capital’s transport system.
Since then, the airport and Belgian government authorities have been working closely on a new security concept.
Deputy Prime Minister and Security Minister Jan Jambon traveled to Israel this summer to view the security systems in place at Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv.
At Ben Gurion, cars are stopped at a checkpoint and given a once-over by heavily armed guards and cameras that read license plates. People deemed suspicious are pulled over for further questioning and possibly full searches. Largely unnoticeable monitoring continues all the way to the terminal.