Govt issues ‘Travel Aware’ guidance

Passengers are urged to be ‘Travel Aware’ and check the guidance on hand luggage before they set off for the airport, which will help keep security screening queues at Gibraltar Airport to a minimum as the busy summer season approaches.

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 Gibraltar Airport liquids, gels and pastes should be packed into hold baggage where possible.

If carried in hand luggage, they should be in containers that hold 100ml or less, and packed into a sealed, clear plastic bag, maximum 1litre capacity, which must be placed in the tray at security
Additionally, food or powders should also 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.
The Director of Civil Aviation, Chris Purkiss said: “The security restrictions are in place for a good reason – to keep passengers safe.”

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

“Please remember that items that cannot be identified by the screening officers may be subject to further checks and in some cases may be rejected for travel.”

The full guidance on items that are allowed to be taken onto an aircraft as cabin baggage is available at https://www.gov.uk/hand-luggage-restrictions.