Updated Security Screening in Geneva (GVA)
 

I flew Sunday from Geneva to Munich and was startled to see the security screening was now right at the top of the steps (making the lounges on the airside of security now). I had flown the previous week and the security was where it always was.

Needless to say, there were two entrance lines, one on the left with 2 machines running and one one on the right (moving much faster) with 4 machines running.

Additionally, there was a fast-track line - but ONLY for Business Class / First Class. I asked at check-in and again at security if I could use the fast-track line as a Senator and they said, "No, only first or business. It seems strange to us too but this is how the Geneva Airport has implemented the fast track line."

So for those flying out of GVA - there is now a fast track line if you are in business/first (but not *A Gold, or SkyTeam Elite). And the lounges are now airside instead of landside so you can time your departure to the gates better.

Beofotch

So, I'm trying to imagine..before hand the 2 security controls for A and C gates were adjacent to the stairs and escalator leading down to the B gates, now they have moved them to where the passport control used to be (and where they I guess used to check boarding passes), so everything including the Duty Free store, Swatch, Hermes etc. as well as the lounges is now inside security?

Well this is definitely good news. Once you were in the lounges you never know how long you had to leave as you still had security to clear.
It is announced, very discretely, on the GVA website.

This is good news! I guess you can use fast track as a HON though.
Also in ZRH you can use the fast track even as an FTL.. They have no clue about shiny cards there. Next time I flash a golden credit card :p.

Did you ask at the Check-in for a priority access?

At MAN, I got a green sticker on my boarding pass at CI (SEN flying Eco). I can't believe that LX has not the influence for letting it's premium customers through the premium-security at one of it's home airports...

and this is what it looked liked yesterday at GVA at 07:13

Being a poor Senator there was no fast track

Total time wasted ... 28 minutes

Congratulations GVA!

http://www.andresimha.com/moi/GVA%20...009%200714.jpg

PS. Sorry for the shaky picture ;)

Hi rorschi,

GVA is not really one of LX's home airports any more ... they have dwindled down the number of flights so much that Easyjet is the leading airline in GVA, and even they don't get everything they want.

(Edit: From the 2008 annual report: The major airlines in terms of market share were easyJet (33.6%), Swiss (12.3%), Air France (8.1%), British Airways (6.5%) and Lufthansa (6.3%))

Cheers,

GenevaFlyer

I went through this new security control yesterday, and it was quite stressful because I thought I was going to miss the flight. For once, I was on the easyJet non-stop to EDI, and with the huge walk to D85 afterwards, I was sure I was going to be offloaded. But all was ok.

The line spilled out onto the upstairs concourse. It did move forward reasonably quickly, though, so it seemed fairly efficient.

So I just heard from one of my friends who fly out of Geneva, and she said the new security system is extremely poorly designed and has so much backlog that now you have to budget almost 25 mins there to catch a plane! There is a line for C/F, though it's unclear if this is also for Elite members (e.g. *G/*S etc.), even the agents there were unsure...there are no more rolling slides to slide your bucket tray along (e.g. where you put your laptop into) and when you exit you have to go through some small narrow corridor via the food court to get to the main area where you have Duty Free and lounges.. which is the only benefit of the new system, that you no longer have to keep worrying about how long the security line is when your meant to be relaxing at the lounge.

Whilst browsing this website (www.gvaplus.ch) I found (with difficulty) this article in french:

«One Stop Security»

L’AIG inaugure le 23 septembre son nouveau dispositif de contrôle de sûreté centralisé (CSC). Ce dispositif parachève la mue de l’aérogare. Il devrait également bouleverser en douceur le comportement des passagers.

L’objectif est simple : il s’agit de rassembler en un seul endroit tous les points d’inspection filtrage. Le dispositif est conçu pour que les temps d’attente n’excèdent jamais dix minutes.

L’introduction du centre de contrôle centralisé devrait modifier les habitudes des passagers: sitôt enregistrés, les passagers pourront passer le contrôle de sûreté. En toute sérénité, ils pourront ensuite faire du shopping jusqu’à ce qu’on leur annonce le début de l’embarquement.

La mise en place du CSC satisfait les exigences de la réglementation européenne en matière de sûreté. On parle là du concept de One stop security : tous les passagers ayant pris l’avion à Genève sont considérés comme « propres » en terme de sûreté, dans tous les aéroports européens dans lesquels ils atterrissent. S’ils doivent prendre une correspondance pour continuer leur voyage, ils ne devront donc plus faire l’objet de nouveaux contrôles.


The 2nd paragraph indicates that the new security screening is conceived so that the waiting time never exceeds 10 minutes (!)

The 4th paragraph indicates "all passengers flying from Geneva are considered "clean" in terms of security, in all European airports in which they land. If they have to take a correspondence to continue their trip, they will no longer need another security control"

Does this mean that you no longer need to re-do security in Zurich going to Terminal E (?) let alone in other European airports ??

Rather confusing to me ... anyone experienced this yet?

In other European airports that support the one-stop-security setup (and few of them so far do), you'll no longer have to re-clear security.

In the case of ZRH, this will only become effective once the new, centralized security screening is in place.

Oli, can you tell us a bit more about this? When is this supposed to happen? Will the LX lounges ever be airside, meaning after security controls? That would be a real enhancement for once.

All the details on the Zurich 2011 project can be found here. Centralization of security control will happen by end of 2011, and yes, lounges (& shopping) will then be in the sterile zone.

Now that Switzerland is in Schengen, going to any EU destination you will no longer be required to clear security. However... flights to non-schengen are often located in another area and require that you go through security AGAIN...like FRA (which p.s. is a mess if your going schengen to non-schengen or vice versa, prepare for a long trek in the tunnels from the A to B concourse)