"Israeli-style airport checks urged for UK"

Monday, July 2, 2007

Israeli-style airport checks urged
By Dan Milmo
United Kingdom - The Guardian 


Security experts have called for Israeli-style vehicle checkpoints at
British airports in response to Saturday's attempted suicide bombing at
Glasgow airport that brought chaos to terminals yesterday.

Air passengers endured a day of traffic jams and hold-ups and drivers were
barred from dropping off and picking up passengers at all terminal
forecourts. The vehicle ban brought traffic at Gatwick airport to a
standstill as the three-mile tailback spilled on to the M23, while cars
trying to reach Glasgow airport were backed up four miles on to the M8.

The government was urged to put barriers on airport roads after a former
adviser on UK airport security said the current regime was out of date.

"The logical thing to do would be to verify the vehicle before it enters the
lane and check the driver's credentials," said Norman Shanks, former head of
security at the airport owner, BAA. Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv operates
a series of vehicle checkpoints, including barriers just outside forecourts.

The ban on cars drawing up to terminals is likely to be in place for some
time, raising the spectre of travel chaos in the holiday season. "Car parks
will be the nearest you can get to airports for the foreseeable future,"
said a spokesman for BAA.

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