Nearly 100 items were seized at Manchester Airport's Terminal 2 this month, including ten toy guns, two multipacks of yoghurt, a BB gun, and a baseball bat. Many of the confiscated items failed to comply with hand luggage rules, such as restrictions on liquids.
Liquid Restrictions Still in Force
Under current regulations set by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), any substance that can be sprayed, spread, or poured at room temperature must be in containers of no more than 100ml. Although new 3D scanning technology has been installed at Manchester Airport, the 100ml liquid limit remains until the airport receives CAA approval to lift the restrictions.
Other Prohibited Items
Security officers also removed 12 pairs of scissors, seven corkscrews, four knives, six packs of tools, two loose chisels, and a pair of pliers. These items breached CAA rules banning sharp objects and blades longer than 6cm (2.3in) from hand luggage.
Among the more eye-catching finds were ten toy guns or imitation firearms, including a BB gun with two packs of ball bearings, three NERF guns, and a handgun-shaped whisky decanter set. Items designed to resemble firearms, or which could be mistaken for real weapons, are not permitted in hand luggage. A baseball bat and a handheld leg massager were also confiscated because they could be used as weapons.
Appeal to Passengers
With thousands of passengers travelling during the busy summer holiday period, airport security chiefs are urging people to check the rules before packing. Attempting to take prohibited or non-compliant items through security can cause delays for both the passenger and others waiting to travel.
Sakib Mahmood, security duty manager at Manchester Airport (T2) 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.
“But 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.
“In many cases, items like these which may fall foul of hand luggage restrictions can be taken in your hold luggage – so if in any doubt, pack the item in your suitcase rather than your carry-on bag.”
