Manchester Airport reminds passengers on hand luggage rules
Almost 100 items had to be confiscated in just one morning as scissors, yoghurts and pliers were found in passengers’ hand luggage
Passengers at Manchester Airport have been reminded to make sure they do not inadvertently bring items that could be confiscated at security, as the busy summer holiday period begins.
24 packs of cosmetic products, seven drinks bottles and seven food items were confiscated in a single morning at Terminal 2.
Airport security regulations are set and monitored by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) – and as it stands, a 100ml limit for hand luggage is still in place on liquids at most UK airports.
Also removed from bags were 12 pairs of scissors, seven corkscrews, four knives, and six packs of tools – plus two loose chisels and a pair of pliers.
In each case, these items broke CAA rules prohibiting sharp objects or blades with a length of more than 6cm (2.3in) in hand luggage.
10 toy guns or items resembling firearms were confiscated – including a BB gun with two packs of ball bearings, three NERF guns, and household items including a handgun-shaped whisky decanter set.
Anything that is designed to look like a firearm, or could be disguised as one, cannot be carried in hand luggage, and this includes toys which could be painted or adapted to more closely resemble a real weapon.
A baseball bat and a leg massager were also confiscated because of their potential to be used as a weapon.
Sakib Mahmood, Security Duty Manager at Terminal 2, Manchester Airport, said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming millions of passengers to Manchester Airport this summer.
“We’re proud of the role we play in getting people’s journeys off to the right start, and more than 97% of our passengers are getting through security checks in under 15 minutes.
“Each time we have to pull a bag aside for a manual search it can take several minutes, and that can quickly start to add up and create delays - not just for the passenger with a non-compliant item in their hand luggage, but also for those waiting behind them in the queue.
“The range of items confiscated here in just a few hours shows what our security officers are up against every day – but when it comes to working out what is restricted and what is not, we know some items are more obvious than others.
“If you take a moment to reacquaint yourself with the rules before packing your hand luggage, it can save you lots of time when you get to Security – and avoids you losing items like water guns or bottles of suncream that you want to take on your holiday with you.”
Passengers are encouraged to be alert to items which might contain more than 100ml of liquid, such as everyday items from children’s squishy toys to souvenir snow globes which could inadvertently break the rule.
Liquid medications over 100ml are exempt – provided passengers have a prescription label clearly displayed, as is breast milk in containers of up to 2L.
Large electrical items no longer have to be removed from hand luggage bags, but items such as belts and watches should be removed and pockets emptied before stepping through the body scanners, to avoid triggering them.
Items that contain lithium batteries, such as power banks, vapes and tablet computers, may pose a fire risk if faulty so must be packed in hand luggage, rather than hold luggage, to allow easy access in the event of an emergency.
Passengers cannot fly with more than two power banks per person, and these must not be recharged in flight.