Even before the American hostages were released, a bomb exploded in Germany at Frankfurt’s international airport. Three bystanders were killed, and dozens more were injured.

Then, shortly after Christmas, in a vicious attack at airports in Rome and Vienna, terrorists massacred 19 and wounded more than 110 others.

Many airports have become virtual armed camps. Luggage is searched piece by piece at places such as Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport. When an inspector there suspiciously fingered a tube of toothpaste, a traveler half jokingly said: “If you squeeze it out, you’ll have a hard time getting it back in.” No measures can guarantee 100-percent safety.

“At this point, it doesn’t seem that any airport is really safe,” says Michael Barron, assistant travel manager of a U.S. travel agency. “You pay your money and you take your chances.”

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The massacre at the Rome airport

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AGI photo, Rome, Italy

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Reuters/​Bettmann Newsphotos