Airport Security, Immigration & Border Control

[Tarn Spotter]

The guy assaulted members of staff, not the general public.

 

[Aviador]

White Heather, member of the airports consultative committee has confirmed the airport will be introducing a body scanner this year. Does anybody have any idea what the airport is planning to put the new scanner with the limited space available in the central search area?

 

[Aviador]

Drone came within 300ft of hitting passenger jet at Leeds Bradford Airport

Image: The Times

First laser pens now these things which are becoming an ever increasing danger around British airports.

 

[jfy1999]

Last July there was a near miss where an A320 on approach to LHR had one pass just 20 feet over its wing. Before that there was a near miss at SEN in May where one came within 80ft of an ATR which was on approach.
Fortunately some major remote-controlled aircraft manufacturers are installing GPS so that the drones can't stray into airport controlled airspace.

 

[Aviador]

Last July there was a near miss where an A320 on approach to LHR had one pass just 20 feet over its wing. Before that there was a near miss at SEN in May where one came within 80ft of an ATR which was on approach.
Fortunately some major remote-controlled aircraft manufacturers are installing GPS so that the drones can't stray into airport controlled airspace.

I guess that will be good in cases where these drone machines are straying close to flight paths unknowingly to drones user. There is still going to be a huge concern for those occasions when drones are used maliciously and one would imagine GPS can be disassembled by a person wanting to cause harm. I honestly think they're a bad thing, especially when they are so freely available.

 

[jfy1999]

In the U.S. there have been a worryingly high number of reported drones flying around airports, but in fact this has prompted calls for restrictions to be loosened, probably so that it will be easier for the people in charge to monitor things. Back in the UK, the CAA claim the manufacturers have embedded GPS into the machines themselves--presumably they are going to make them as tamper-proof as possible. A CAA spokesman said that if an attempt to fly the drone in controlled airspace is made, the drone's flying mechanism will be disabled and it won't even take off.
Unfortunately too many drones without this new technology have already been sold.

 

[Aviador]

Leeds Bradford Airport will feature in tonight's Inside Out programme on BBC1 (Yorkshire) The BBC claims wheel chair passengers can pass airport security with prohibited items.

 

[lbaspotter]

Oops not good for LBA.

Sadly its not a claim, they (BBC look North) have actully done it by using one of its disabled reporters whom uses wheelchair. Prohibited goods included a pen knife, spanner and other pocket type tools which were hide under his seat and the whole incident has been recorded using undercover cameras. LBA management have said that full investigation has taken place and security has been tightened but CAA has also now got involved with its results still to be released.

Should be an interesting programme to watch and to see how the BBC have managed to do it and what plans LBA have in store to rectify the situation.

 

[Aviador]

A very interesting programme by the BBC. It will be available on this link for a few weeks: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... e-12102015

Norman Shanks an Aviation Consultant interviewed by the BBC on the Inside Out programme said "the airport security staff were not compliant as they were not fulfilling what they were trained to do".

It would appear the problem here is a case of airports putting customer service before the safety and security of the travelling public. If airport security are being too intrusive it will inevitably lead to more customer complaints. Basically, they're damned if they do, damned if they don't.

 

[Bigman]

I would rather they do a full and thorough job than to appease a few moaners. Security is far more important than potentially hacking off the odd punter.

 

[lbaspotter]

Here's the full statement issued by LBA management regarding the BBC inside Out programme.

STATEMENT
12 th October 2015

Leeds Bradford® Airport statement relating to BBC Inside Out programme (Yorkshire and Lincolnshire) to be broadcast 12th October 2015

"Both Leeds Bradford® Airport and the Civil Aviation Authority have carried out thorough investigations into the alleged breaches. We can confirm that all regulatory requirements in relation to the security processing of passengers with disabilities and reduced mobility have been met. The safety of the travelling public remains our highest priority

 

[airforced]

My question would be "Is the LBA response, as quoted by lbaspotter, accurate because if it is then the CAA rules need looking at don't they?"

I'm automatically suspicious of this type of story (or non-story usually) whilst agreeing that it is essential that whatever security procedures are in place are followed by the airports. If LBA are telling porkies they need to be hauled over the coals but if not please don't adopt a herd mentality and castigate them if they were following the rules. In that case it would be the rules that needed looking at.

 

[Aviador]

It's a standard response you would expect from the airport.

I do find it very unhelpful of the BBC to publicise such failings in airport security. It's like giving the enemy your coordinates and a bomb to fire at you.

At the end of the day though a bottle of water got through airport security unnoticed. It could just as easily have been nitroglycerin. I don't see how the airport can constitute that as "meeting regulatory requirements" because it can't be.

 

[White Heather]

The airport stated that in accordance with procedure, the wheel-chair was scanned for explosives and was negative. Presumably had the bottle contained nitro glycerin or any other explosive the scan would have been positive!

In my opinion the actions of the BBC in publicising this can be seen as downright dangerous for the reasons given by Aviador. On the other hand, in raising awareness, it might lead to security on wheel-chair users being enhanced. It does seem that there is a reluctance to bother the person using the wheel-chair, and no effort made to ensure they are genuinely have a disability. That would seem to be compliant though so it points to inadequacies in the regulations. If LBA were seen to be going beyond those regulations, I have no doubt that some people would be complaining bitterly about being harrassed. Again, as Aviador has stated, they are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

If there is one thing that annoys me most though is that the BBC have publicised this, yet at no stage did they clarify what exactly the CAA regulations say relating to scanning of passengers in wheel-chairs. The fact it was stated to be a problem at every airport this reporter had visited suggests they might well have spent some time doing so. It might have led to a change of focus and instead of castigating LBA (again), they could have directed their concerns directly to the CAA.

 

[Aviador]

Airport security provider Omniserv has lost it's contract with Leeds Bradford airport to provide passenger and staff screening at the airport. The news comes just weeks after a BBC reporter highlighted "deficiencies in the security screening of disabled passengers."

 

[White Heather]

The contract is being allowed to run to the end, in February. LBA are then taking security in house, so the Omniserve staff will be transferred to LBA under TUPE legislation. At a stroke, LBA employees will double.

 

[Aviador]

And here we are yet again!

Lifetime Ban and £12,000 Bill for Divert Passenger
14th July 2016

- Joshua Strickland arrested in Manchester following violent and abusive behaviour onboard

Leading leisure airline, Jet2.com, has issued a lifetime ban to disruptive passenger, Joshua Strickland, plus billed him £12,000 after his abusive and aggressive outburst led to a divert to Manchester Airport yesterday lunchtime.(last week)

The 21 year old from York, who had been consuming his own alcohol illicitly, started verbally threatening a family travelling on the Leeds Bradford to Larnaca flight. When a cabin crew member stepped in to try to calm him down he started to make physical threats towards her and also began to punch the seats. Strickland’s behaviour became so abusive and aggressive that he had to be restrained and the captain made the immediate decision to divert to Manchester for the safety and wellbeing of the other customers and crew onboard.

On arrival he was arrested by Greater Manchester Police and this morning was charged for acting in a way to endanger an aircraft or a person on that aircraft.

Phil Ward, managing director of Jet2.com, said: “We will not tolerate anyone being threatening towards families and crew on our flights. We are committed to stamping out abusive and aggressive behaviour for the safety of everyone onboard. Joshua Strickland’s violent outburst was absolutely unacceptable and caused a lot of distress plus significant delays for our customers. He now has to face up to the consequences of his actions and we will vigorously pursue to recover the costs incurred by this unnecessary divert.”

Jet2.com’s Onboard Together initiative commits the airline to a zero tolerance stance against disruptive passenger behaviour. So far more than 500 passengers have been refused travel and over 60 of these have been given lifetime bans.

http://www.jet2.com/News/Lifetime_Ban_and_12000_Bill_for_Divert_Passenger/
​

Having been on an aircraft in the past with unruly passengers I applaud Jet2 for taking this action. This idiot's accompanying friends may have found the event entertaining but this kind of behaviour is definitely not entertaining for the crew or other passengers on board.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Well done Jet2.

I hope that they do continue to pursue him for the costs, I wouldn't hold out much hope but these idiots need to be taught a lesson. It could have been very frightening for those on board, especially any younger children.

I'd like a system to be put in place where airlines can share the details of incidents like this.

Somebody mouthing off after having a few too many can usually be dealt with but if the incident is so severe that the captain decides that he/she has no choice but to divert, then the consequences should match that.

A minimum 10 year ban on all airlines may make people think twice in the future. I'd also like to see a mandatory custodial sentence for anyone convicted of 'acting in a way to endanger an aircraft or a person on that aircraft'.

 

[whoshotjimmi]

I have a slightly differing opinion on this which is that Jet2 clearly allowed a drunk passenger on board their aircraft, once again. I have discussed this on this forum previously. In this country, it is illegal to sell alcohol to someone who is drunk. It is not hard to distinguish when a person is drunk and when they are part of a group that is likely to have been drinking, you have to wonder how he was allowed to board. Whilst I appreciate that there is always going to be the possibility of an idiotic element on any flight, Jet2 seems to have a greater than fair share. It is all very good and well chasing him for the money and banning him after the event but a little bit of experience and understanding and, dare I say, training would stop drunken and rowdy passengers getting on the flight in the first place in which case the entire incident could have been averted. Obviously, this does not make the actions of the passenger right and I hope he jolly well pays the bill but I think a little bit of a procedural change from Jet2 would not be amiss.

Since we are on the security thread and I was reading the bits and pieces about items getting through security etc, I thought I may as well mention that on my flight to Heathrow last weekend, my ID was not checked once from entering the airport to boarding the aircraft. During this time, I passed through check in, security, terminal gate and, finally, boarding itself. I was sitting with another lone traveller visiting London for the weekend and she also said that her ID had not been checked once. I find it startling and alarming that a person can board an aircraft without being challenged as to who they are, particularly considering the current security threat. This is not to say that the security checks were not thorough - they were - but it doesn't sit right with me that this can happen. I could have been anyone. And so could everyone else.

 

[Aviador]

consuming his own alcohol illicitly

Whoshotjimmi, Jet2 made it clear the man was drinking his own alcohol but you are right in that many people do certainly appear to be allowed to consume far too much alcohol prior to boarding. I am aware that Jet2 actually pay for security to monitor and even stop people from boarding flights here at LBA. I'm not sure if this is something that is done at the airlines other bases though.

Some interesting points regarding ID checks. Did you never get asked at all, not even a cursory look at your photo ID? Primarily your boarding card is the most important document to get you through security and on board an aircraft, not your photo ID. Most airlines have various stages of checks prior to a passenger obtaining a boarding pass.