A traveler checks passports before checking in at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia, Thursday, April 10, 2014
The head of the international police agency Interpol says a "major airline in Malaysia" soon will start checking travelers' passports against its global database of 40 million stolen or lost travel documents.
The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 last month revealed a gaping loophole in aviation security when Interpol said its database had information on the theft of two passports used to board it - but national authorities hadn't checked the database.
Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble told reporters at the United Nations on Friday that the airline in Malaysia, which he did not name, will begin using the agency's system within four to six weeks.
"We hope to have the government of Malaysia do the same," Nobel said.
He said less than 10 countries do systematic screening.