FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Beginning Feb. 1, air travelers will pay a fee to help ensure their safety.

The Transportation Security Administration, a new branch of the Federal Aviation Administration, has mandated that all domestic airlines add a Sept. 11 Security Fee to flights.

The metal detectors and X-ray machines now used to screen passengers and carry-on luggage cannot detect plastic explosives like those that were allegedly hidden in a passenger's shoes last month.

Airline passengers will help pay a fee of $2.50 per flight, or a maximum of $5 per one-way trip with connecting flights.

The fees are expected to raise about $900 million this year to pay for explosive detection equipment.

The new aviation security law requires all airports to have the screening equipment operating by the end of the year.

Developing and deploying new equipment will be the top priority for the TSA, which takes control of airline security next month.