Accommodation in the Yorkshire Dales
Hotels, Guest Houses and Self-catering in Yorkshire Dales
New security scanners cause chaos at Leeds Bradford Airport
So, after months of extended delays for passengers at Leeds Bradford Airport while the security systems have been upgraded, finally the new machines are up and running. In December 2022 the UK’s Department for Transport set out requirements for all of the UK’s airports to comply with new security standards by June 2024[1]. These much-heralded changes we are told will not only improve security but will also make the passenger’s journey through the airport easier and less stressful. Now that it is operational at Leeds Bradford, is there a noticeable difference?
I was travelling for a long weekend break to Spain, setting out for a morning flight on Thursday 22 February. It had been a very busy time at work, and I was looking forward to a few days of relaxation. As we walked up to the airport building my heart sank at the sight of the queue, snaking around the open area far beyond the entrance to security, past the bank of check-in desks, past the toilets and the shops, in a seemingly endless line of disappointed-looking travellers. “Ah well” I thought, “at least the £7 I spent on the Fast Track pass wasn’t wasted!”. I recalled how I had nearly decided not to buy the Fast Track pass on the basis that the price had gone up from £5 since last time, and it had turned out to be totally unnecessary. Anyway, today there was a sign saying it would be 30 minutes’ queuing time for security, or 20 minutes in the Fast Track lane. In the end it was more like ten. Expectations managed.
To my surprise however, when we reached the security area, the people working there were desperately stopping us all from taking anything out of our bags! “Don’t take it out, don’t take it out, don’t take it out!”. Not your toiletries, not your electronic equipment, not your phones or laptops. Leave it all inside your bag and walk through the scanners. Well, that wasn’t expected! The new “magic” machine would scan everything in situ, without the time wasting associated with getting everything out and putting it back again, maybe being pulled to the side with the realisation that you’ve accidentally left a tube of toothpaste in your bag……
My bag was pulled out though, for my laptop and toiletries to be tested. So was my partner’s, and a number of others. A small queue of people formed at the end of the security desk, waiting for the verdict on their belongings. Eventually a harassed-looking security guard came over to me, having individually tested each of my toiletries. He handed me my laptop and plastic bag of toiletries and showed me in his other hand my small 60 ml bottle of hand sanitiser and a small but expensive tube of eco hand-cream my vegan sister had bought me for the journey. “I’m sorry”, the young man said, “but you can’t have these.” I protested that they were in small tubes and I was allowed to take liquids in containers up to 100ml, but he wasn’t having it. The computer had said no. He didn’t seem to know why but the testing machine didn’t like my toiletries so I couldn’t have them. They were confiscated. I protested that I wanted to know what the rules were for next time because I have expensive cosmetics and I want to know whether its safe to bring them in future or whether they will also be taken from me without explanation. There was no explanation. Only that the machine doesn’t like some liquids so you can’t have them.
The lady to my left was beginning to look alarmed. She was still waiting for her toiletries to be tested, and she confirmed that she did have expensive cosmetics, which she really didn’t want to give up. The security guard looked embarrassed and carried on his work. Trying his best to ignore the irritated passengers. It wasn’t his fault, and he was probably beginning to regret this new security system and the chaos it was causing.
When I returned home a few days later I checked the LBA website for information on these new rules. But there was no information. It still refers to the old rules, instructing you that “Liquids, gels and pastes must be in individual containers with a maximum capacity of 100 millilitres each. You must pack these containers in one transparent, resealable plastic bag of no more than one litre (20cm by 20cm). Each passenger may only carry one transparent bag.”[2] So I decided to contact LBA directly, to request an explanation for why my belongings had been confiscated. What could we bring with us in our hand-luggage, and why had the rules changed without any warning?
I was unfortunately unable to find a telephone number on the LBA website but did manage to find a customer service email. So I sent off an email explaining the issue and asking for information regarding what we can and cannot bring with us in our hand luggage so that I won’t be caught out again next time. I received a very polite and prompt response from the security management team. They explained: “Randomness is still a major part of the CAA Aviation security strategy, but also the new equipment is designed to detect and analyse a large number of things. This will explain why bags together or not, are rejected. The liquid rules still require us to test liquids, and the relevant protocols further require that if an alarm occurs, this can result in refusal of the liquid (confiscation). We of course test liquids because we cannot know the content whether it is purported to be water or expensive creams.” So, clear as mud then. If the computer says no, your goods will be confiscated….
When Leeds Bradford Airport announced that it was starting the installation of new security systems back in November 2023, the airport’s chief operating officer and accountable manager, in an interview reported by Joe Bates of airport-world.com, stated “We want to ensure that every passenger travelling through LBA has an easy, stress-free start to their journey. This investment is an essential part of streamlining our processes and making travelling through LBA an easier and more pleasant experience for everyone.”[3] Ignoring the months of extra queuing that is inevitable when systems like this are changed, was the final result a more pleasant experience for everyone? Well, possibly for some people, as it was definitely a faster process for those people who were not stopped to have items in their baggage checked. But for me, and others like me, who not only had to wait while their items were checked, but then had them confiscated, without any explanation, this feels like a backwards step, and certainly didn’t lead to a stress-free start to my holiday. Let’s hope they are at least more effective from a security perspective.
Kathy Hargreaves
www.yorkshiredales.co.uk
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/passengers-to-benefit-from-biggest-shake-up-of-airport-security-rules-in-decades
[2] https://www.leedsbradfordairport.co.uk/help/security
[3] https://airport-world.com/amp/security-upgrade-for-leeds-bradford-airport-in-the-uk/