Birmingham International Airport has insisted its operations are safe following a TV expose of staff misbehaviour at a private security firm at the airport.
ITV news programme Tonight with Trevor McDonald filmed staff allowing bags and passengers through unchecked and failing to guard a US-bound Continental Airlines flight. The staff all worked for security firm ICTS.
In a statement, the airport said: “All passengers are screened by the airport’s own security processes and these were not criticised by the programme.
“ICTS is a third-party contractor to a limited number of airlines. The behaviour of ICTS staff featured is not acceptable and will not be tolerated. The staff involved have been suspended.”
The programme showed staff sleeping on the job and dealing drugs. The airport has launched an investigation.
All US flights are considered at high risk of terrorist attack, as are those of Air India which also uses Birmingham International. Thomsonfly, Thomas Cook Airlines, MyTravel Airways and First Choice Airways all use the airport, but did not feature in the programme.
A catalogue of failures included the absence of a guard on the ramp of a Continental Airlines flight to check the authorisation of cleaners, baggage handlers and other staff around the aircraft.
Security expert Chris Yates described the failures as giving a terrorist “an even chance of getting an explosive device on to an aircraft”.