Hot water: travellers get used to security ban
Staff put up warning posts while check-in desk helpers were deployed to tell departing passengers about the curbs on bottles of 100 millilitres of more.
They were allowed to carry on board containers with less than 100ml of liquid, in clear plastic bags, while everything else had to go in their checked-in bags to be stowed in the plane’s hold.
“But there were still some people getting as far as security with big bottles of beer and bottles of spirits,” said airport marketing manager Kevin Cullinane.
“They could not go through with them as hand luggage because the items were over 100ml and most people just chose to forfeit these items rather than go back to check-in. These will all be destroyed.”
Passengers returning to Britain from Cork were among those caught out by the new restrictions, which came into force during their holiday.
Dr Mike Cole, 60, of Brighton, fell foul of the new arrangements as he had a toothpaste tube with more than 100ml of dental cream inside.
“We checked in our bags, knowing that we could take stuff (containing liquids) in clear plastic bags but then we discovered you can only take things on if they are less than 100ml.
“I know they have got to have a limit but I’m not sure what difference 100ml rather than 150ml makes,” said Dr Cole, who was on a family holiday with grandson Leo, two.
Carmel Thayre, who was also returning to Gatwick, said the arrangements were less strict than those in place in Britain last week.
“You couldn’t carry anything on-board at Gatwick but at least I can now take on little things I need like lip-balm,” said the 40-year-old of Guildford, Surrey.
Passengers arriving at Cork reported little trouble, saying the Europe-wide security arrangements were working well.
“There were long queues at London Heathrow but at least we were moving,” said 49-year-old consultant Wim Van Loggerenberg, of Pretoria, South Africa.
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