Belfast International Airport Urges Passengers To Be 'Travel Aware'

Belfast International Airport has urged travellers to arrive "at least 2 hours before your flight" amid reports of long queues today, Monday 01 October.

Posting to the social media accounts, travellers are also told to carefully pack their bags at home, which they said could help reduce the time it takes to get you through security.

The Airport also shared a link to the UK government's guidance on hand luggage, which advised passengers to be 'travel aware' and check the guidance on hand luggage before they set off for the airport – and help keep security screening queues to a minimum.

Carefully packing bags at home and carrying only essential items in hand luggage can help reduce the need for lengthy manual checks at security, which can quickly cause queues to build up.

Passengers are reminded that when flying from UK airports:

• liquids, gels and pastes should be packed into hold baggage where possible. If carried in hand luggage, they should be in containers that hold 100 mililitres or less, and packed into a sealed, clear plastic bag (maximum 1 litre capacity) which must be placed in the tray at security. However, empty flasks or bottles can be taken through, and water fountains are available in the departure lounges of most UK airports for refilling

• food or powders should be packed into hold baggage where possible. Although these items are permitted in hand luggage, they can obstruct images on the x-ray machine, or may be mistaken for suspicious items – so putting them in the hold will help reduce the need for additional checks. Passengers who need to take these items on board should therefore allow extra time at security

• sharp items and tools cannot be carried in hand luggage at all

• large electrical items such as laptops or tablets can be taken into the cabin, but must be removed from hand luggage at the search area and placed in the tray

Aviation Minister Baroness Sugg said: "We have some of the strongest aviation security measures in the world, and the restrictions are in place for a good reason – to keep passengers safe.

"By simply checking the guidance before they set off for the airport, passengers can have a smoother and less stressful start to their journey."

(MH/CM)