Locks and Security News: your weekly locks and security industry newsletter
17th April 2024 Issue no. 701
Your industry news - first
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100 Million Locks and Counting!
Just seven years after the first "TSA Lock" went on sale the Travel Sentry lock system is now embraced by over 300 companies worldwide and has become the global standard for securing checked luggage. This month the 100 millionth Travel Sentry Approved lock was manufactured - and more than two million Travel Sentry equipped locks and luggage are now added worldwide every month.
In January, 2003 the U.S. government mandated that all checked baggage would have to remain unlocked to facilitate inspection; that is until the inception of the Travel Sentry system. The standard created by Travel Sentry, and now used by virtually all major lock and luggage companies, was created to solve the dilemma that passengers want to lock their baggage yet need to give access to government security screeners.
Born out of cooperation between the travel goods industry and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Travel Sentry was almost instantly the "must have" travel accessory. Accepted and recognized by the TSA, as well as Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs in the U.K., virtually all of the world's most popular travel brands now offer Travel Sentry locks or integrate them into their luggage. Literally tens of thousands of specialty retail stores as well as "mainstream" retailers like Wal-Mart and Target carry the locks.
This has been a real success story for the TSA who, as a result, has been able to move baggage inspections behind the scenes and allowed passengers to lock their bags; all at zero cost to the federal government!
Airport by airport the baggage screening checkpoints have been moved from the ticket counter lobbies to non-public areas relieving congestion and improving productivity by permitting screening "in-line" with the baggage conveyors.
This phenomenon has not been limited to the U.S. TSA Locks are sold in over 50 countries worldwide and nearly 100% of luggage sold in Japan now features Travel Sentry locks.
From Tokyo to Tacoma, from Boston to Buenos Aires, airline passengers have embraced the TSA Lock and once again are locking their bags.
1st December 2010