Before You Go
Flights
Package Holidays
Latest Special Offers!
All-Inclusive Hotels
Hotels & Aparthotels
Private Villas/Apts to Rent
Villa Companies
Local Rental Agents
Cruises
Car Hire
Airport Transfers & Taxis
Travel Insurance
Late Deals!
Currency
Holiday Shopping
Background Info
Language
Books
Events & Fiestas
Climate & Weather
Art & Culture
Flora & Fauna
Links
Discussion Forum
Once You're There
Maps
Airport Directions
Tourist Information
Eating Out
Buses & Trains
Music & Entertainment
Excursions & Days Out
Shopping & Markets
Kids
Beaches
Walking, Cycling
Boat Charters
Sailing/Watersports
Market Place
Boats & Yachts
Property For Sale
Businesses For Sale
Property Services
Local Services
MouseMats & T-shirts
Computers
Internet Services
Virus Protection
|
PuertoPollensa.com discussion forums
Flights to Palma de Mallorca, Majorca Anything related to flights to & from Palma and airports (UK & PMI). |
42Likes
28-02-2015, 10:42
|
|
Founder
|
|
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Colchester, UK
Posts: 3,824
|
|
Palma Airport - Hand luggage control increased
As Reported by Majorca Daily Bulletin
Quote:
From tomorrow in every Spanish airport, including Palma, all passengers’ hand luggage will undergo close inspection from security staff to check for traces of explosives.
Palma.— While the measure could be seen as “extreme” for some, airport authorities explained yesterday that international terrorism organisations have been developing new techniques to hide explosives in hand luggage, and as such, safety and security measures in local airports will be increased, to comply with European Union laws.
Irons, hair dryers, cameras, batteries and kids toys will be inspected closely as they are part of an object on the high risk list.
Potential threats
Mobile phones, video cameras, computers, pocket calculators and pocket sized sewing machines have also been highlighted as potential threats. In total a budget of 17 million euros has been allocated for this massive national operation, but money well be spent according to AENA director Fernando Echegaray.
|
Give yourselves pleanty of time & watch what you pack in your hand luggage!
|
04-03-2015, 10:56
|
*****
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Kent
Posts: 969
|
|
I was under the impression they already did this - or did they just choose certain passengers at random for this type of check? We were stopped at Luton a couple of years ago because minute traces of some sort of explosive were found on our hand luggage - I have no idea how or when it got there but it could only really logically be through contamination from other luggage at an airport. It was a small bag and had never travelled in the hold so it must have picked up the traces when going through the scanner (I assume - either that or their equipment was giving a false reading). I did have visions for a moment of being arrested on terrorism charges but they just searched the bag in a rather cursory fashion and let us go - we weren't delayed by more than five minutes.
|
04-03-2015, 11:10
|
Banned
|
|
Join Date: May 2009
Location: England
Posts: 1,710
|
|
Instead of randomly bothering totally law-abiding citizens, and we've all had it done by over zealous security at check-in, some I'm sure just get a kick out of it, we should be doing "passenger profiling" as Israeli airlines do.
Also, as Kate says, your luggage must come into contact with all sorts of substances at airports. A while back my case was swabbed for drugs and I asked security what happens if my case had been in contact with someone's contaminated with drugs and he couldn't give me an answer. Believe me I'm all for security but we need to target the bad people, not just anyone. We need those body scanners in all airports. Doesn't bother me if anyone gets a thrill looking at me naked!
|
04-03-2015, 12:23
|
|
*****
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 4,295
|
|
I think this is just a strengthening of things they should be doing anyway. At Gatwick they have been doing this for ages, swabbing liquid bags and laptops, but the last few years through Palma they haven't even asked for the fluids to be taken out of hand luggage, he waved me through last time and said to leave them in the case!
|
04-03-2015, 13:34
|
|
Super Moderator
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Port de Pollença
Posts: 20,297
|
|
I suppose the problem these days is that there are so many "home grown terrorists" that it is impossible to know who is or who is not a law abiding citizen.
__________________
Living the dream in PP with my glass half full. .
|
04-03-2015, 14:06
|
*****
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Surrey & Puerto Pollensa!
Posts: 299
|
|
Travelling back on Sunday afternoon I was held up by these more stringent processing checks.
My hand luggage bag in one tray was taken aside while the rest of my items (iPad /Computer / Jacket etc.) continued on another tray down the long conveyer.
I was then called over by security and separated from my other items to remove most of the contents of my hand luggage bag into yet another tray and for that tray and my hand luggage bag to be re-screened. I was then allowed on my way.
Thankfully it was quiet on Sunday but I would be very worried to be separated from the rest of my valuables, as I was this time, in the height of summer when the airport security lines a jam packed with 100s of people.
|
04-03-2015, 14:25
|
*****
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 1,343
|
|
Totally agree James - it's difficult enough keeping track of all your bags etc when they are together And, from my experience, the security staff at Palma are not the most friendly or accommodating. I know that what they do is important from the point of security but their attitude is sometimes unacceptable.
|
04-03-2015, 14:31
|
|
*****
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: London, Kent borders.
Posts: 4,073
|
|
They were pretty stringent at Palma when we returned in January too. All shoes off; belts - as ususal; checking sizes of watches and bracelets (can you really smuggle things on a bracelet?). One of my trays went straight through, the other veered off to the "holding tank" amongst a lot of fast talking! When I finally got allowed backwards towards the area, it turned out that a very small, empty bottle of perfume had found its way to the bottom of a bag and caused quite a lot of worry!
Yes, I felt an idiot, but I was really quite impressed that they spotted it. I have no problem at all with them being strict and thorough at any airport - but perhaps a couple more conveyor belt areas would speed the process up so we can get to Duty Free for longer!!
Last edited by Belladonna; 04-03-2015 at 14:42.
Reason: Wrong month!
|
04-03-2015, 16:36
|
*****
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: New Forest
Posts: 659
|
|
We have for a long time now taken watches jewellry belts off and put that and any loose change mobiles etc in our main bag before it goes through security
It saves time and also a nephew of ours had one of the first expensive Ipods stolen going through loose in a tray several years ago He was a music student and it had music he had written on it and was to him very precious
I think the tightest security we ever go through is Bournemouth Everything I own is searched and swabbed ( Lady OAP ! ) and I now feel guilty when I get there for nothing !! All airports seem to have such different standards re security and hand luggage rules !!!!
|
04-03-2015, 18:14
|
*****
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Kent
Posts: 969
|
|
Copper, I'm fairly sure we've been asked a couple of times to remove any electronic devices from our hand luggage bag and put them in a separate tray? I do think you're absolutely right and different airports have slightly different protocols.
|
04-03-2015, 18:20
|
*****
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Leeds west yorkshire
Posts: 316
|
|
Oh dear this is very worrying. I always set the alarm's off walking through the "scanner". I'm convinced I have a metal plate in my skull from infancy, that my parents neglected to tell me about. It doesn't happen occasionally, it's every time ! Maybe it is my sheer "animal magnetism" that set's the alarm off !
|
04-03-2015, 18:22
|
|
*****
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 4,295
|
|
It's only seems to be iPads and laptops, used to be hairdryers and tongs but not now or iPods, just large electrical they say, mainly for swabbing, it all gets x- rayed anyway!
|
04-03-2015, 18:26
|
|
*****
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 4,295
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by varsp
Oh dear this is very worrying. I always set the alarm's off walking through the "scanner". I'm convinced I have a metal plate in my skull from infancy, that my parents neglected to tell me about. It doesn't happen occasionally, it's every time ! Maybe it is my sheer "animal magnetism" that set's the alarm off !
|
Lol, the wife is the same, no matter what she seems to set it off while I waltz through
|
04-03-2015, 19:52
|
*****
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Leeds west yorkshire
Posts: 316
|
|
The other unfortunate thing is, I always look guilty even when I've done nothing wrong. That's what a convent school education does for you..... Sister's of Mercy..... they never showed us any !
|
04-03-2015, 21:16
|
*****
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 1,343
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by varsp
The other unfortunate thing is, I always look guilty even when I've done nothing wrong. That's what a convent school education does for you..... Sister's of Mercy..... they never showed us any !
|
Perhaps that's why I always get 'pulled' at Palma - the guilty ex-convent schoolgirl expression
|
Thread Tools |
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT +1. The time now is 08:45.
|