"Airline anger grows over UK security regime"

Monday, August 14, 2006

Airline anger grows over new security regime
Flight International

 
Major UK airlines are expressing growing frustration with the implementation
of new security rules at the country's airports following last week's
counter-terrorist operation.

British Airways (BA) CEO Willy Walsh went public with his criticisms of
London airport operator BAA, accusing the private company of being "unable
to provide a robust security search process and baggage operation".

The Daily Telegraph reports today that his comments sparked a furious row
with BAA CEO Tony Douglas at Heathrow on Saturday evening. BAA reportedly
emailed airlines at about the same time warning them that they could be
kicked out of the airport if they did not comply with the latest rules.

Low-cost giant Ryanair yesterday directed its fire at the Government, saying
the airports could not cope with the revised requirements and calling for a
return to random body-searches rather than the 100% currently in force.

In a statement the airline says: "Ryanair, the UK's largest passenger
airline, today called on the Government to revise its heavy-handed airport
security measures, some of which do not enhance security but are disrupting
the journeys of thousands of British passengers and visitors and bringing
the main London airports - which cannot cope with these requirements - to
the point of collapse. 

"If the main UK airlines are forced to continue to cancel flights because
the airports cannot meet these security requirements, then the extremists
will have succeeded.

"Ryanair supports all sensible and effective security measures which protect
the safety of the travelling public and the UK's air transport industry.
However, the BAA are unable to carry out body searches on 100% of passengers
who have just passed through security x-ray machines and this level of body
searches does not enhance security. If there is a threat to US flights or
from specific extremist groups, then this is where the extra security
measures and the extra body searches should be targeted. 

"However, body-searching young children and family groups travelling on
holidays or the thousands of ordinary citizens travelling on UK domestic and
European flights who are neither a security nor terrorist threat, is
unnecessary and ineffectual. By causing the widespread cancellation of
flights and the breakdown of the main London airports, these blunt security
measures are handing the terrorists an enormous success. 

"The UK Government should revise this 100% body-search requirement back to
its normal 25% immediately. Body-searching one in every four passengers, all
of whom have just passed though security x-ray machines, still allows any
suspect passengers or routes or groups to be targeted for security
purposes."

Ryanair rival Easyjet called on the Government to use Territorial Army
reservists to help cope with the baggage-handling and and security checks.

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