Airports group tight-lipped over deadline extension

AGS Airports, which runs Glasgow and Aberdeen, declined to say if it had asked for a deadline extension. Its spokesperson said only: “We are continuing to work with the UK Department for Transport (DfT) on the roll-out of next generation security checkpoint scanners.”

The DfT said it “may consider allowing airports to have slightly longer” to fully deploy the new scanners “to ensure that the new screening arrangements operate effectively”. However, “for security reasons”, it would not say which airports would be ready and which had requested exemptions.

Its spokesperson said: “The UK has some of the most robust aviation security measures in the world. Airports are responsible for upgrading their security equipment and this cuttingedge technology will enhance security and boost the passenger experience. We are in regular contact with airports as they move towards the June deadline for upgrading their screening equipment and processes.”

A spokesperson for Heathrow, the UK’s busiest airport and a key hub for connecting flights to and from Scotland, said: “We are focused on keeping the operation flowing and a smooth security experience for passengers while the transition takes place.”

Scottish Passenger Agents Association president Jacqueline Dobson said: “We back our partners in the airline sector who are calling for the summer deadline to be extended. We’d go a step further and suggest many of these logistical issues could have been avoided with more consultation with the aviation sector.”