Originally Posted by
KARFA
It's very difficult to come to any conclusions like this since we (as an FT community) really don't have access to the security information which the authorities are working with.
Yes, I can understand that bringing down a plane of the flag carrier for Britain could be a greater trophy than that of a low-cost, multi-national airline such as easyJet. Also that there are formulations of lithium-based batteries which are essentially explosives without modification - they just need shorting.
Still a great deal of harm could be done with a glass bottle on sale from duty free. When the security measures benefit the airports and airlines - e.g. the liquids restrictions, they are very keen to implement them. When they may hurt sales, e.g. glass bottles in duty free, they are non-existant. I would not say the airlines and airports are in league with terrorists but they certainly financially benefit from the threat, real or perceived, from them.
It is the moral equivalence of having signs before security saying, "Terrorists, no bombs past this point!", then on the airside, "Terrorists, buy bombs at 20% off!". Back to lithium batteries, they do already.
Cynical.