New security check procedures issued by China's civil aviation authorities in the wake of a foiled terrorist attack will make Chinese airports and air travel safer.
The regulations, which came into force on March 14, banned liquid products, including drinks, and some cosmetics and medicines from carry-on luggage on domestic flights.
The day before the cabin ban, the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) had announced it was stepping up safety checks ahead of the Olympic Games.
"Airport staff will open more bags and cases for security checks," the CAAC said on its website. Existing easy-boarding VIP services that allow passengers to pay for priority boarding have been cancelled.
Banned cosmetics include face cream, skin lotion, skin oil, perfume, skin spray, spray deodorant, shaving foam, toothpaste, contact lenses solution, hair gel and body butter. Sample-packaged cosmetics in containers of below 100 ml will be allowed but must be put in separate bags that can be opened for a security check.
For passengers with an infant, they will now need to apply in advance with the airline to provide them with formula or baby food free of charge, according to the notice.
Diabetics or other patients who need to carry liquid medicine should give them to a member of the flight staff to hold after clearing a security check and presenting a doctor's prescription.
For passengers on international and regional flights, security check rules will remain unchanged, the authority said.
At present, according to rules adopted last May, all liquids carried in hand luggage on international flights must be held in containers with a capacity of no more than 100 ml. The containers should be placed in a transparent, resealable bag with a maximum capacity of 1 liter.
Each passenger will be allowed to carry just one bag. Exemptions will be made for baby milk and baby food in the baby's presence as well as medications with prescriptions.
The banning of liquid products on flights has been painful for passengers, leading to longer security checks and less informed passengers having to discard their liquid products. A number of passengers have missed their flights due to security check delays. Beijing Capital International Airport has attempted to tackle this problem by opening an emergency boarding channel for passengers about to miss their flight.
The CAAC announcement came in the wake of a foiled terrorist attempt on a Beijing-bound passenger plane on March 7. A 19-year-old Uygur woman smuggled two containers of gasoline onto a flight from Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. She took the containers into the bathroom and tried to light the gasoline, but was stopped by members of the flight crew.
No one was injured and the plane was diverted to Lanzhou, capital city of northwestern Gansu Province, before continuing on to Beijing.
Police at Beijing Capital International Airport will receive a delivery of new hi-tech equipment designed for fighting terrorism during the Beijing Olympic Games this summer, according to a report in China Daily on February 22.
Portable bomb detectors that can warn of explosives in just a few seconds will be deployed during the Games, said Zhang Zhi, an official with the police department.
"Airport police are already equipped with advanced bomb detecting, moving and disposal devices, along with x-ray machines and anti-riot robots. But we need more and faster bomb detectors for the Games," he told China Daily.
The new bomb-detecting equipment will be used to prevent people from taking explosives into the airport.
Zhang said an airport security zone will also be defined to prevent anyone from taking shots at aircraft when they are taking off and landing.
Police will also set up checkpoints on highways leading to the airport and conduct thorough background checks on all people employed at the airport, Zhang said.
(Beijing Review April 8, 2008)