Queenie
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2005
- Messages
- 3,144
- from AOL News
"Restrictions imposed on hand baggage permitted to air passengers in the wake of last month's alleged terror plot may soon be eased, Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander says.
The changes introduced have sparked complaints among passengers because of the inconvenience caused and have raised concerns about the additional financial burden on airlines and airports.
Mr Alexander revealed that he had attended meetings with international partners and UK airlines and airports over the past week to look at the possibility of relaxing the new rules, which limited the size of permitted hand baggage and banned all liquids except essential medicines and baby food.
Further meetings will take place in the coming week to determine whether any changes can be made.
Mr Alexander said: "There is an emerging threat in terms of liquid explosives and we have to reflect that in terms of the ongoing arrangements we have in place.
"But we are working very hard both with airport operators and airlines to see if further steps can be taken.
"We have already changed significantly the regime that was in place for the first few days to the regime that is in place at present. But if there are further steps that we can take, consistent with security, we will lose no time in putting in place those changes."
Mr Alexander added: "If we didn't believe that a plane was safe, we would not let it take off from the UK airspace. We have a tested, rigorous and experienced safety regime which we keep under constant review and I can assure you that we continue to work on that review week in and week out, month in, month out.
"Obviously, we are dealing, in an insecure world, with terrorists who are constantly trying to find new ways to wreak the kind of havoc, danger and murder that they perpetrated in the past.
"But equally, we work tirelessly with security experts, technical experts and scientific experts to make sure that not just air travel but other modes of travel are safe as well.""
"Restrictions imposed on hand baggage permitted to air passengers in the wake of last month's alleged terror plot may soon be eased, Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander says.
The changes introduced have sparked complaints among passengers because of the inconvenience caused and have raised concerns about the additional financial burden on airlines and airports.
Mr Alexander revealed that he had attended meetings with international partners and UK airlines and airports over the past week to look at the possibility of relaxing the new rules, which limited the size of permitted hand baggage and banned all liquids except essential medicines and baby food.
Further meetings will take place in the coming week to determine whether any changes can be made.
Mr Alexander said: "There is an emerging threat in terms of liquid explosives and we have to reflect that in terms of the ongoing arrangements we have in place.
"But we are working very hard both with airport operators and airlines to see if further steps can be taken.
"We have already changed significantly the regime that was in place for the first few days to the regime that is in place at present. But if there are further steps that we can take, consistent with security, we will lose no time in putting in place those changes."
Mr Alexander added: "If we didn't believe that a plane was safe, we would not let it take off from the UK airspace. We have a tested, rigorous and experienced safety regime which we keep under constant review and I can assure you that we continue to work on that review week in and week out, month in, month out.
"Obviously, we are dealing, in an insecure world, with terrorists who are constantly trying to find new ways to wreak the kind of havoc, danger and murder that they perpetrated in the past.
"But equally, we work tirelessly with security experts, technical experts and scientific experts to make sure that not just air travel but other modes of travel are safe as well.""
