Travel advice for passengers
The Department for Transport has issued advice to air passengers after a
suspected plot to blow up planes was prevented:
Following this morning's police action, security at all UK airports has
been increased and additional security measures have been put in place for
all flights.
With immediate effect, the following arrangements apply to all passengers
starting their journey at a UK airport and to those transferring between
flights at a UK airport.
All cabin baggage must be processed as hold baggage and carried in the hold
of passenger aircraft departing UK airports.
Passengers may take through the airport security search point, in a single
(ideally transparent) plastic carrier bag, only the following items.
Nothing may be carried in pockets:
Pocket-size wallets and pocket-size purses plus contents (for example
money, credit cards, identity cards etc (not handbags)
Travel documents essential for the journey (for example passports and
travel tickets)
Prescription medicines and medical items sufficient and essential for
the flight (eg, diabetic kit), except in liquid form unless verified
as authentic
Spectacles and sunglasses, without cases
Contact lens holders, without bottles of solution
For those travelling with an infant: baby food, milk (the contents of
each bottle must be tasted by the accompanying passenger) and
sanitary items sufficient and essential for the flight (nappies,
wipes, creams and nappy disposal bags)
Female sanitary items sufficient and essential for the flight, if
unboxed (eg tampons, pads, towels and wipes)
Tissues (unboxed) and/or handkerchiefs
Keys (but no electrical key fobs). All passengers must be hand
searched, and their footwear and all the items they are carrying must
be X-ray screened.
Pushchairs and walking aids must be X-ray screened, and only
airport-provided wheelchairs may pass through the screening point.
In addition to the above, all passengers boarding flights to the USA and
all the items they are carrying, including those acquired after the central
screening point, must be subjected to secondary search at the boarding
gate.
Extra time
Any liquids discovered must be removed from the passenger.
There are no changes to current hold baggage security measures.
Regrettably, significant delays at airports are inevitable. Passengers are
being asked to allow themselves plenty of extra time and to ensure that
other than the few permitted items listed above, all their belongings are
placed in their hold baggage and checked in.
These additional security measures will make travel more difficult for
passengers, particularly at such a busy time of the year. But they are
necessary and will continue to keep flights from UK airports properly
secure.
We hope that these measures, which are being kept under review by the
government, will need to be in place for a limited period only.
In light of the threat to aviation and the need to respond to it, we are
asking the travelling public to be patient and understanding and to
cooperate fully with airport security staff and the police.
If passengers have any questions on their travel arrangements or security
in place at airports they should contact their airline or carrier.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk/4778615.stm
