SCIENTISTS have invented a bomb proof bag that could revolutionise air travel and security.
Following a plot to blow up aircrafts using liquid explosives in 2006, passengers have been limited to carry no more than 10ml of liquid on a plane and are unable to take an open bottle of water on an international flight.
But all of this could be about to change, with an international team of scientists deciding that innovation is a better protector than over-sensitive security restrictions that make everyone feel uncomfortable.
On 24 June the University of Sheffield announced that they had invented a bag that can protect planes from bombs in passenger’s luggage.
The fly bag as it has been named, uses special fabrics, composites and coatings which would absorb the blast of a bomb if it exploded during a flight.
Central to the design of the bag is the addition of Shear Thickening Fluids, which remain liquid naturally, but thicken under stress.
The bag has been designed to contain passenger luggage and then be placed into the hold of a plane.
Team member Dr Jim Warren from the University of Sheffield´s Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, said the use of explosives on aircrafts “has had a renaissance in recent years, with recent attempted attacks coming… as loaded freight”.
Dr Warren said that because weight and operational flexibility is important to aircraft operators, the fly bag is offering a simple solution that may set an example of how aircraft structures can be strengthened.
It is expected that the Fly-Bag will be on the market within one to two years.