German airport operators want relaxation of strict security rules
Berlin (AP)
Airport operators want relaxation of strict rules for the transport of liquids in hand luggage.
The President of the Association of German Airports (ADV), Michael Eggenschwiler, called for the EU Commission to "make security rules reasonable and understandable". He also announced a new structure of landing fees based on emissions.
"Passengers cannot understand why they have to throw away liquids purchased at airports outside of the EU, when they see identical bottles being sold after security checks. Now that 7 months have passed since the introduction of the new rules, the EU Commission should review them to see if they brought any actual improvements in security. If there is no improvement, the EU should have the courage to abolish these rules.
At the Frankfurt airport alone, the new security measures result in up to 3 tonnes of additional garbage per day. Mr. Eggenschwiler demanded for the state to take over all security-related expenses instead of making airport operators and travelers bear the cost, just as it is the case with any other forms of transport.
(ADV also claims credit for delaying the intruduction of new hand luggage size limits for 12 months)
I wish someone in the US would stand up with a similar position ...
Quote:
Now that 7 months have passed since the introduction of the new rules, the EU Commission should review them to see if they brought any actual improvements in security. If there is no improvement, the EU should have the courage to abolish these rules
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Quote:
Originally Posted by viking407rob
So it's a pain in the a$$ to them like it is to everyone else....
Of course it is! It costs them money, ties up staff and lowers people's perception of the service level provided at the respective airport. It also discourages people from flying at all, which is something airports are definitely not happy about.
Last but not least, it cuts into a big slice of their revenues - duty-free sales. If you're not sure whether you'll have to give up your purchases later, you'll be less likely to buy something.
All this hurts the bottom line, while bringing little or no benefit to security, definitely not enough of a benefit to justify the enormous cost. It's about time we moved back to sensible risk management rather than risk avoidance at all costs.
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