The chairman of one of the world’s largest airlines has launched an attack on inefficient and “completely redundant” airport checks and said governments should stop “kowtowing” to US demands for increased security.
The comments by Martin Broughton, chairman of British Airways, reflect broader industry and passenger frustration with the steady accumulation of rules on everything from onboard liquids to hand baggage that have blossomed since the September 11 terrorist attacks.
In remarks at the annual conference of the UK Airport Operators Association in London, he said that the practice of forcing people to take off their shoes and have their laptops checked separately in security lines should be ditched.