As Airport International yesterday reported, by late afternoon, all luggage check-in was suspended after the new terminal’s hi-tech baggage system broke down.
As these words were written, further chaos was anticipated. So far today, over 30 departing flights have been cancelled, while passenger queues are mounting up.
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Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Heathrow Terminal 5 Set for Second Day of Delays
Baggage 'Chaos' at Heathrow Airport Terminal 5
Late on Thursday afternoon, all luggage check-in at the flagship new facility was suspended after a day when thousands of passengers faced hours of delays following the breakdown of the terminal's sophisticated baggage system.
According to a statement released by British Airways, the terminal's exclusive user, the terminal's baggage belt broke down and passengers were forced to manually check-in their bags.
Baggage Delays As Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 Opens
The first aircraft to land at the new £4.3 billion terminal, which is used exclusively by British Airways, was Flight BA026 from Hong Kong. The aircraft landed on time at 0450 GMT - and its pilot was Capt Lynn Barton, who back in 1987 made history as BA's first female airline pilot.
The first departure from the airport was at 0620 GMT with a flight to Paris.
BA Chief Executive in Heathrow Terminal 5 Apology
The opening day saw chaos erupt as a suspension was placed on hold-luggage, 34 flights were cancelled and waits of up to four hours were experienced in baggage reclaim.
Today, 36 flights have been cancelled. Additional cancellations are anticipated to be made in the hours to come.
Baggage System 'Working' at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5
The announcement by the airline's chief executive, Willie Walsh, follows a chaotic few days at the brand new terminal building.
As reported extensively by this website, since the terminal opened on Thursday 27th March there have been major technical difficulties with the terminal's baggage handling system - which led to thousands of bags being stranded across the five terminals at Heathrow, and significant flight cancellations and delays.
Walsh said over 400 volunteers were working to clear the baggage backlog. He said the baggage system was now "working well", and that "we are making every effort to reunite bags with their owners".
Flight Cancellations at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5
At the end of last week, British Airways - which is the exclusive user of the £4.3 billion terminal - announced it was planning, for the first time, to operate a full schedule of services from the terminal over the weekend, after nine days of extensive delays and cancellations since the terminal opened on 27th March.
However, a glitch in the automated baggage system on Saturday caused the cancellation of 24 flights, while heavy snow in southern England on on Sunday caused 144 flights into and out of T5 to be cancelled.
Today, Monday 7th April, there are 34 flights from T5 which have been cancelled as a result of the delays experienced over the weekend.
Airport International advises passengers using Heathrow today to check the British Airways website or the Heathrow Airport flight information website for the very latest updates:
Heathrow Airport Flight Information
BA Announces Heathrow T5 Long-Haul Flights Delayed
Since opening, Terminal 5 has suffered a number of problems, particularly those related to its hi-tech baggage system.
Speaking on the 11th April, British Airways’ Chief Executive Willie Walsh explained the delay in moving the airline’s long-haul services.
"It is only sensible to ensure that Terminal 5 is operating consistently at a high standard before the move begins”, he said.
Under previous plans, long haul BA flights, which are currently flown from Terminal 4, were scheduled to start operating from the new terminal on April 30th.
Airlines Complain at Heathrow Airport Terminal Moves
Several airlines believe they are going to be placed "at a competitve disadvantage" by the British Airports Authority (BAA), because of forthcoming changes in the way the airport is organised.
From the end of next month British Airways will be centralising most of its Heathrow operations into the new, long-awaited Terminal 5. At the same time, Terminal 2 and The Queen's Building will be closed ahead of demolition to prepare for the new Heathrow East Terminal.
Photos/ Fingerprints Increase Japan's Border Security
Japan has become the second nation to introduce a security programme of photographic and biometric identification for all those entering the country.
The US was the first country to take fingerprints and photographs of inbound foreigners. However, while the US measure is purely restricted to foreign visitors, Japan now requires foreign people living in it to undergo the security checks on each occasion they enter the country.
The fingerprints taken will be compared alongside the records of individuals that Japan has deported. Additionally, they will be cross-analysed with over 800,000 bits of data in respect of suspects sought both by Interpol, and by authorities in Japan itself.
New Security Measures Designed to Counter Terrorism, Says Japan
While the government in Japan describes the measure as counter-terroristic, and aimed at reducing crime, some say it is discriminatory.
Groups campaigning for human rights say that the new security measures are a violation of privacy, and could potentially fuel xenophobic attitudes. They add that, by implication, foreigners are the ones judged to be most associable with terrorism or other infringements of the law.
To date, no acts of terror involving foreigners have been carried out in Japan. Indeed, Japanese nationals were involved in incidents such as the Tokyo subway gas attacks.
Further concerns regarding the measures relate to the sharing of data with other immigration bodies overseas.
Japan's Foreign Population Angered by Biometric/Photographic Measures
Meanwhile, foreigners in possession of visas entitling them to reside in Japan have also been angered by the photographic and biometric security demands - saying that no difference now exists at this level between them and those visiting the nation.
Japan maintains that such security is necessary to assist with blocking the entry into the country of terrorists.
Tokyo has been a solid supporter of the invasions of both Iraq and Afghanistan. This, in itself, has raised fears that terrorists could have Japan in their sights.
Source - Security International's Far East Correspondent
Foreign Visitors to Give More Biometric Data at US Airports
All non-US citizens between the ages of 14 and 79 are now required to leave ten digital fingerprints, instead of two, and a photograph when they arrive at US airports or apply for a visa.
Washington Dulles International Airport was the first airport to introduce the new measure, on November 29. Over the coming months nine other major US hubs will introduce the scheme, with the remaining 278 airports following during the course of next year. It is planned that all US airports will have the system in place by the end of 2008.
Security Screening for US Airport Workers
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is launching a 3-month trial which will test more rigorous security screening measures for airport staff working on airside operations.
All workers at seven airports - including Boston, Denver and Kansas City - will be subject to the new screening programme, which will vary according to the airport location.
The programme, lasting for 90 days from May to August, will affect over 53,000 airport employees.
High Security Staff Turnover at US Airports
According to USA Today, one-in-five security staff are leaving their jobs on an annual basis - despite a much-publicised incentive programme.
Between October 2006 and September 2007, the newspaper reported, some 20% of the 46,000 security staff employed by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at airports across the US, left their jobs.
Some senior figures in airport security are reported to be concerned at the high level of staff turnover, which they say is impacting on efficiency levels and the overall standard of security being offered.
Clark Ervin, a former Homeland Security inspector, said: "[The] turnover is pretty high. You want people as sharp and as experienced as possible, and that's why it is a concern".
One security screener who has recently left her job claimed that airport security checkpoints are "chronically short-handed".
Laptop Cases 'Make Airport Security Screening Faster'
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has issued a request for bag designers and manufacturers to make a new style of carrying case which will allow airport X-ray machines to scan the bag without the passenger being required to take their computer out of its bag.
Currently, passengers with notebooks have to remove the computer from its case to have the bag scanned.
The TSA, the agency responsible for security at airports across the US, believes that by having an appropriately-designed bag where the passenger can keep their laptop in the bag, the security screening process could be sped up.
Music and Light 'Reduce' Airport Passenger Stress
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced that it is planning to undertake a total makeover of airport security checkpoints, which will include calming mood lighting and music.
Known as the Checkpoint Evolution Project, the plans for the future of security checkpoints also include provision for new X-ray baggage screening equipment and wider security lanes to help ease congestion.
The plans were announced on the TSA's airport security blog at the weekend by the agency's boss, Kip Hawley.
US Airport Runway Safety Improvements Recorded
Passengers flying in the US are now considered less likely to be involved in runway collisions at US airports, even though there were more runway debris incidents in the past 12 months than during the previous year, according to newly-issued data.
The US FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) detailed 12 serious runways incursions for the past 12 months – 13 less than in fiscal 2008. Commercial airliners figured in two of these – seven less than before. Meanwhile, over 950 minor incursions took place – an increase over the previous year.
New Body Scan Technology Rolled into US Airports
According to the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) - which is rolling the machines into airports across the US - the scanner is not a compulsory security measure. In other words, travellers don't have to use it.
However, those passengers who are required to undergo additional screening have the choice of entering the machine, or opting for a body pat-down.
Naked Airport Security Scanner
Manchester Airport has started a trial of an X-ray security scanner which produces what's been termed "naked" images of passengers. The new scanning machines provide a full-body image of a passenger, which authorities say will enable any concealed weapons or explosives to be uncovered more quickly.
Passengers will no longer need to remove their belts, shoes and coats when they go through security checks in the airport's Terminal 2. The airport says this will "completely take away the hassle" of going through a 'pat-down' check at the security gate.
However the scans will also reveal a clear outline of genitalia and any false limbs or body piercings. A spokeswoman for Manchester Airport said passengers can refuse to be checked by the machine if they are uncomfortable with the full-body image scan.
Heathrow Airport Expansion Legal Challenge
A coalition of local councils, environmental groups and local lobby groups are currently consulting lawyers over whether they will be able to launch a judicial review of the government's public consultation into the planned development of Heathrow.
The consultation period - launched at the end of November, following the government's announcement of the proposals to build a third runway and sixth terminal at Heathrow - is ending at the end of February.
Heathrow Airport "Will Close" If Not Expanded
Future Heathrow, a campaign group of aviation industry business supporting the government's proposals to expand Heathrow to include a third runway and sixth terminal, say that developing Heathrow is essential for the future economic good of London and the surrounding regions.
According to the group, the expansion proposals are so important that without them then the airport could one day close.
Greenpeace Protest at Heathrow Airport
The incident, which occurred at Heathrow's Terminal 1 at 09.45hrs on Monday morning, involved a British Airways Airbus A320.
Four protesters were involved in the demonstration. According to Greenpeace, the activists apparently walked through a set of security doors onto the apron.
Waiting until the passengers had disembarked from the aircraft, which had just arrived from Manchester, the protesters proceeded to walk across the apron to the aircraft.
They then climbed up onto the aircraft, and draped a banner around the aircraft's tailfin which read: "Climate Emergency - No Third Runway".
The British Airports Authority (BAA), the company which operates Heathrow, said that emergency services responded to the protest and removed the four protesters from the aircraft. They were subsequently arrested and taken to Heathrow police station for questioning.
Greenpeace said later that the activists ended their protest peacefully, and did not struggle with emergency services to continue the demonstration.
Branson Wants Heathrow Airport Expansion
Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph, Branson said: "it is more important than ever that London expands its capacity".
Echoing comments made last week by a pro-Heathrow development support group called Future Heathrow, the Virgin boss said that the government must approve the building of a third runway and sixth terminal at Heathrow for the continued economic well-being of the capital and, by extension, the entire country.
Beijing Airport Boosting Security for Olympics
Among the measures that will be implemented are police checkpoints on the roads leading in to the hub while, according to Zhang Zhi – a police official at Beijing airport - "Airport police have already been equipped with advanced bomb detecting, moving and disposal devices, along with X-ray machines and anti-riot robots."
"But we need more and faster bomb detectors for the Games," Zhang added, in comments quoted by the China Daily.
US Airport Security Lane Checkpoints
In experiments at Denver International and Salt Lake City Airports, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is examining whether passengers voluntarily split themselves down into separate queues dependent on their travel status.
At these two airports, there are three separate security "checkpoint lanes" - one each for families, business travellers and so-called 'casual' (or infrequent) travellers.
Signs at the security checkpoints inform the passengers there are three separate lanes - with black diamonds designating those lanes for business travellers, blue squares for casual travellers and green circles for families.
The system is entirely voluntary. Passengers are not forced to join the specific lane, with officials leaving it to the discretion of the travellers themselves.
The level of security screening in each lane is identical.
The experiments began in February, and although the Denver test is due to conclude this week the TSA says the system at Salt Lake City is likely to continue "indefinitely".
Sky Marshals on Transatlantic Flights
The US government wants to introduce a raft of new security measures, which includes allowing so-called "sky marshals" to be seated on flights from Europe to America operated by US airlines.
As well as the demand for sky marshals, the US Transport Security Administration (TSA) has six other security demands.
Most significant of these is the demand for the 27 EU member states to supply further personal data on those European air passengers overflying US territory on their way to other destinations, but not landing in the USA.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) containing the proposed measures is currently being circulated around European capitals and at the EU in Brussels. The US government wants the EU27 to each sign bilateral agreements with them, agreeing to the demands.
In return, the US government says countries which agree to the measures will be still be permitted to enable their passengers to travel to the USA without a visa.
It is reported that if a national government does not agree to the demands, then passengers from that country would need to apply for a US visa to allow them to travel to America.
Biometric ID Cards for UK Airport Workers ** Updated
The controversial ID card scheme has been in the news for much of this decade, attracting significant media attention.
Despite the Identity Card Act being passed in 2006, the government has struggled to get the programme off the ground.
On 6th March, the UK's Home Secretary Jacqui Smith gave a speech outlining the government's latest thinking on the roll-out of the ID card programme.
She confirmed the media reports that first surfaced two weeks ago that the ID card roll-out wil be delayed until the 2011/2012 timeframe. She also explained that passport applicants will no longer now be required to have mandatory ID cards, and that biometric iris and fingerprint data will not be collected from those applying for passports.
Biometric Data Collection for Heathrow Airport Passengers
Some travellers using the airport's Terminal 1 are now required to undergo iris scans and provide fingerprints before boarding their flights.
The rules apply to domestic passengers who wish to visit the Terminal's international lounge, and passengers arriving on an international flight and transferring to a UK domestic one.
Domestic passengers who do not wish to visit Terminal 1's international lounge will not have to provide the data.
A spokeswoman for the British Airports Authority (BAA), which runs Heathrow, said passengers will still continue to provide their photo ID and boarding pass in addition to the iris scan and fingerprint.
She explained that the biometric data is destroyed within 24 hours.
Heathrow Airport Consultation Has Ended
Recent weeks have seen increasingly vocal arguments and counter-arguments on either side of the debate to expand what is one of the world's busiest airports, with airline industry figures, business leaders, politicians, environmental lobbyists and local pressure groups all making their feelings known.
True to form, the last few hours before the consultation ended saw supporters and critics of the proposals deliver further evidence in support of their contrasting claims.
Then, on Wednesday morning, five members ofthe Plane Stupid protest group managed to evade security to climb onto the roof of the Houses of Parliament in London where, during a three-hour protest, they unfurled large anti-expansion banners. This followed a protest at Heathrow itself on Monday, where Greenpeace activists staged a brief protest on a British Airways airliner.
Fingerprint Security Checks At Heathrow Airport Terminal 5
All British airline passengers using domestic flights from T5, which will be used exclusively by British Airways, will have to provide the biometric information when they check in.
Passengers will have four fingerprints taken at check-in, where they will also be photographed.
The fingerprint scanning process will be repeated airside, before passengers board the aircraft, and the photograph taken at check-in will be compared with their face.
As reported by Airport International at the start of February, passengers using Heathrow's Terminal 1 have been required to provide biometric data. However, that only applies to passengers using the international lounge in that terminal.
The T5 scheme is significant because it marks the first time a UK airport will be taking mandatory biometric data from passengers using domestic services.
The Daily Telegraph also reported the scheme could be introduced more widely, taking in domestic passengers at Heathrow's Terminal 1 as well as passengers using Gatwick and Manchester.
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