Brussels Airport takes measures following incident with unaccompanied minor

2013-02-12 — /travelprnews.com/ — Brussels Airport takes additional measures regarding access control to the non-public area of the airport following the incident with an unaccompanied minor who travelled to Malaga last Friday.

Together with the competent authorities, Brussels Airport will investigate whether additional security measures are required, in terms of infrastructure as well as procedures. In the meantime, additional supervision on the electronic scanning of boarding passes will be provided. Moreover, Brussels Airport sensitises all partners who are active at the airport and asks airport staff that has direct contact with the passengers to be particularly alert to the presence of unaccompanied minors.

The screening of passengers who travel within the Schengen area is carried out on two levels. On the one hand, the airport, in conformity with European legislation, is responsible for the access control to the non-public area of the airport through the electronic scanning of boarding passes. A security agent is always present to supervise. On the other hand, access to the aircraft is controlled by the airline, likewise by checking the passengers’ boarding pass. On top of these access control checks, all passengers and their hand baggage are screened.

Despite these thorough checks, a young passenger succeeded in gaining access both to the non-public area of the airport and the aircraft. Brussels Airport takes this incident very seriously and will give its full support to the investigation.

Brussels Airport stresses that during the incident there was never any security risk, neither to air traffic nor to the passengers, given that all screening operations were carried out.

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