How Safe Are Airports? Paris Orly Attack Is Latest Travel Incident To Raise Security Concerns

Two people suspected of being involved in last weekend's attack outside Paris' Orly Airport were detained on Monday for allegedly providing a weapon to the French gunman who shot a police officer and soldiers before being killed by local law enforcement, the Associated Press reported.

The two suspects could receive preliminary charges of association with a terrorist group and remained in custody Tuesday. The gunman, Ziyed Ben Belgacem, shot and wounded a police officer with a revolver loaded with birdshot before attacking soldiers guarding Orly Airport. Belgacem may have been formally associated with the Islamic State militant group as he was seen swinging the revolver around while yelling that he wanted to kill and die for Allah.

No civilians were hurt Saturday during the attack, but Paris remained in a state of emergency after a series of attacks had shaken the country, most notably the terrorism the country endured on Nov. 13, 2015 that left more than 130 people dead and wounded in a series of bombings and shootings.

Read: Paris Orly Airport Shooting: Man Shot Dead After Grabbing Soldier's Gun

The Orly Airport attack raised concern for travelers in addition to prior airport attacks in South Africa and Malaysia. Earlier this month, eight robbers posing as law enforcement officials attacked officers who were loading money onto one of the South African airlines. The amount of money the robbers stole was unclear, but some officials estimated it was at least $1 million. No travelers were hurt and an investigation was ongoing.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half brother Kim Jong Nam was killed in February at Kuala Lumpur airport from a fatal nerve agent that two women wiped on his face as he awaited his flight home to Macau. The women, who were from small villages in Malaysia, explained they thought they were on a prank show and were paid $90. No bystanders were hurt during the incident.

While these incidents have struck fear in many travelers, there reportedly was not need for worry when it comes to flying in the U.S. "Airports are of different sizes and have different layouts, and that doesn’t mean one is safer than another, but airports in the United States, in general, are safe," aviation security expert and president of the trade association Airport Consultants Council T.J. Schulz told the New York Times last year.