Liverpool backs down on £2 security fee – 18 Jan 2007

Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport has dropped a plan to charge passengers £2 to pass through security at the start of January after opposition from airlines.

However, the airport now hopes to bring in an optional charge for those who want to skip the queues – and other regional airports may follow.

If the Liverpool scheme goes ahead, digital information boards will tell people how long they can expect to queue at security if they do not pay.

EasyJet responded to the airport’s initial plan to introduce a charge by calling for a passenger boycott, pointing out security costs are included in landing fees (Travel Weekly January 5).

An airport spokesman said: “We plan to introduce some form of security charge and are in talks with airlines. It could be optional. If people want to go through quickly they will pay a charge. If they are prepared to queue, they won’t.”

The charge for the fast-track channel is likely to be £2.

Airport security costs have increased considerably since the bomb alert last August. The relaxation of restrictions on liquids that followed the early chaos made life easier for passengers, but increased the pressure on security.

“We are investing heavily in staff, training and equipment to keep queues down and can’t continue to absorb the bill,” said the Liverpool spokesman.

“Since the changes, staff must measure the amounts of liquids and check containers as well as passengers’ bags. The system is more complicated, slow and costly.”

Like other regional airports, Liverpool is locked into longterm deals on landing fees with low-cost carriers. It has a 20-year deal with EasyJet and a 10-year agreement with Ryanair. “We could not have foreseen the way airport security was going,” said the spokesman.

BAA, which operates Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, has more flexibility and can pass on some increased costs to carriers.