Malaysia Airlines chief executive Peter Bellew believes governments should restrict people entering airports to those carrying tickets,
In a video interview at this week’s International Air Transport Association annual meeting in Mexico, Bellew argued much of the emphasis had been on airside security at airports.
But he noted many of the incidents in recent years had occurred in the landside part of the terminal prior to the traditional security checks.
Security measures at airport entrances vary considerably around the world. Some airports in higher risk areas such as Turkey, the Middle East and India have already adopted Bellew’s suggestion while others screen people before they enter the terminal. Some airports have also introduced vehicle barriers.
Screening at terminal entrances range from x-raying luggage to scrutinising passports but many airports do not have security checks until passengers — and, in some cases, visitors — queue to enter the airside zone.
But Bellew believes only travellers should be allowed in airports.
“If you’re not travelling I personally don’t believe you have any business being at an airport,’’ he said. “They are being built many times as shopping centres now but that’s not what they’re about. And the airlines who pay most of the money to use the airports, don’t need that.
“So I think, personally, I’d be very happy over the next three or four years if governments closed the front doors of all airports everywhere, terminals, and just only had airline passengers with a ticket going through the door.’’
Recent attacks involving airport landside areas include Brussels Airport in April, 2016, and Istanbul -Ataturk Airport in June of the same year.
In the Brussels attack, two suicide bombs in the airport departures hall and another at a city metro station killed 32 people and injured scores of others. An additional bomb at the airport failed to detonate.
In Turkey, three attackers arrived in a taxi and began firing at the terminal entrance, blowing themselves up after police fired back. The result was 41 deaths and 230 people injured.
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