Airport security ‘confusion and inconsistency’ needs clearing up
Airport authorities and the government have been urged to re-assess airport security in the wake of the alleged August terror attacks.
The Guild of Travel Management Companies says “confusion and inconsistency” in security measures needs to be cleared up, not only in the UK but also across Europe.
GTMC chief executive Philip Carlisle said: “There is currently much confusion at UK airports mainly due to the fact that there is a real inconsistency in what is expected of the passengers.
“Some airport staff allow certain objects onboard and don’t require passengers to take shoes and belts off, whilst others request that clothing be removed prior to going through the X-Ray machines. Airport authorities need to speak to each other and to ensure that they are all implicating the same standards and expectations.
“Airports also need to recruit sufficient staff to fully man their facilities, particularly at peak times. Passengers understand that their best interests are at stake and so security measures need to be tighter but it is frustrating for them to be in a long queue when not all of the security points are manned.”
Carlisle added: “The airport signage needs to be clearer and there must be more and better communication to passengers on what is and is not acceptable.”
Baggage handling should also be speeded up and better advice is needed for passengers transferring between flights, especially in terms of realistic times to make their connection and what they can and cannot do while in the airport terminal building.
“We all understand the reasons for the airports carrying out these heightened security measures but the whole service could be a lot slicker and could certainly impact the passengers less than it is doing so at present,” Carlisle claimed.
Report by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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