The principal figure within the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has attacked the security arrangements in place across the UK's airport network. Giovanni Bisignani highlighted how the restriction on hand luggage was of benefit only to the airport operator BAA. The firm, in response, highlighted how the measure's introduction was instigated by the government, which itself had said limiting passengers to a single item responded to the fears of a "very real threat".

Mr Bisignani made his comments whilst announcing worldwide figures relating to airline passenger volumes for the period January-June 2007. He urged that airports across the globe should operate in harmony to ensure security levels are equally and unilaterally effective, a factor he described as "more critical than ever". He continued: "The US-EU agreement on the sharing of passenger data, signed this month, was a step in the right direction. But governments must focus much more on further harmonisation to ensure that effective security is also convenient for passengers."

Concentrating on the UK, the IATA head added: "A particular focus will be the UK, where unique screening policies inconvenience passengers with no improvement in security. The only beneficiary is the airport operator BAA that continues to deliver embarrassingly low service levels by failing to invest in appropriate equipment and staff to meet demand. This must stop."

A spokesman from the association confirmed that the latter statement was in reference to the UK's hand luggage limitation - a restriction unique on the global airport stage.

According to the news agency AFP, comment was provided by a spokesman from BAA, who provided a figure of £20 million in respect of the security improvements across the seven UK airports that it runs. These, he further detailed, included 22 additional security lanes and 1,400 extra security staff. In conclusion, these constituted "...significant efforts... to reduce the queuing times and to improve the performances of our airports."

Comment was additionally forthcoming from the Department of Transport, a spokesman from the group stating: "The government has already launched a £1.5m advertising campaign in the national press to remind passengers to arrive prepared and, where possible, is introducing changes to help make the security process quicker. But we have to be satisfied that any changes will not compromise the safety of passengers."

Source - Airport Security Newsdesk

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