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Europe / Airports
AAS responds to duty free security breach
By Doug Newhouse, 10 March 2010
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AAS) has responded to the fall out from a Dutch SBS television programme shown last Sunday - and subsequently widely circulated in the press and corroborated - that investigative journalists successfully breached its airport security on February 16 by purchasing bottles from AAS' in-house run duty free store, refilling them (with water) and then representing them as new purchases at the airport shop - whereupon staff packed them in sealed bags and they were taken onboard two airlines bound for London (British Midland) and Washington (United Airlines).
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AAS) and the National Coordinator for Counter terrorism yesterday issued a statement on the matter which acknowledged the breach, which is reproduced in full here: "In response to a change in European regulations, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol changed its security system for Non-Schengen flights in 2005 from central security (in which passengers are checked prior to entering the lounges beyond Passport Control) to decentralised security (checks at the gate).
"Under European regulations, arriving and departing passengers are not permitted to have contact with each other if they have not undergone a security check according to the rules set by the EU. This is why, given the specific infrastructure of the terminal, Schiphol imposes a security check just before boarding at the gate for non-Schengen destinations.
"The implementation of the European regulations in 2006 for fluids required us to take measures for taking fluids on board that were purchased in shops before passengers had undergone the security check at the gates. Thanks to these additional measures, including the introduction of special packaging, camera surveillance and integrity checks on purchased goods, this potentially dangerous situation was reduced to an acceptable level of risk.
"According to a programme on the Dutch SBS television broadcasting station this set of safety precautions can be circumvented. This broadcast and subsequent publication of ways to get around the safety measures have increased the risk and have forced Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to apply additional measures at the recommendation of the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism (NCTb).
"As from today various risk management measures will be taken in the airport's Non-Schengen lounges, including the following:
increased security with additional personnel in the See Buy Fly shops;
checks carried out on fluids purchased from the See Buy Fly shops;
shops selling only a limited amount of fluids will terminate the sale of these products.
"In addition to these measures, we will look into possible long-term technological or infrastructural adjustments. Schiphol Group and the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism wish to emphasize that 100% safety can never be guaranteed - at Schiphol or any other airport. Air transport nevertheless remains one of the most secure means of transport."
COMMENT: Schiphol and the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism's statement today just highlights the nonsense that is Schengen and has always been Schengen.
The original dream that passengers would somehow be able to travel freely between Schengen member states is one of the main reasons why decentralised security and duty free stores exist at all. But the stark reality is that no one is allowed to travel freely between member Schengen states - or any other two states for that matter - without showing their passport... and usually more than once.
The statement's inference that this TV broadcast has somehow 'increased' risk and 'forced' AAS to take counter measures is also less than generous. The fact is that whether AAS or the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism likes it or not, a gaping hole in AAS' security and the decentralised security system has been identified and at least been partially closed. While AAS is obviously quite right that 100% safety can never be guaranteed, the Dutch SBS television station has probably done everyone a service - whether it was sensationalist, or genuinely trying to point out the weakness in security.
Fortunately, there are only a few airports in Europe that still have decentralised gate security alongside duty free shops which are located prior to the gates, with most locating all liquid purchase-based shops - especially duty free - on the post-security airside.
In fact, there have been many European airports where the landside shops have been all but closed - except for news and coffee shops - with check in and security moved forward into these spaces and airside retail areas expanded on the other side of immigration and security to compensate for the lost revenue.
Schiphol and all other airports should take note of this, since the mixing of domestic and international passengers - and visitors to the airport - is certainly not ideal where duty free shops are located prior to security. The dream and reality of Airport Cities can still be realised without duty free shopping being effectively based on the landside. As for Schengen and the original aim that passengers should be free to move between Schengen states with minimum fuss - this dream died after 9/11.
Schengen is actually an anomaly and should be seen as such and it would be a great shame if the great gains made on LAGs’ regulations fairly recently were impacted by this incident, since they have still not been formally ratified.
By Doug Newhouse, 10 March 2010
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AAS) has responded to the fall out from a Dutch SBS television programme shown last Sunday - and subsequently widely circulated in the press and corroborated - that investigative journalists successfully breached its airport security on February 16 by purchasing bottles from AAS' in-house run duty free store, refilling them (with water) and then representing them as new purchases at the airport shop - whereupon staff packed them in sealed bags and they were taken onboard two airlines bound for London (British Midland) and Washington (United Airlines).
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AAS) and the National Coordinator for Counter terrorism yesterday issued a statement on the matter which acknowledged the breach, which is reproduced in full here: "In response to a change in European regulations, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol changed its security system for Non-Schengen flights in 2005 from central security (in which passengers are checked prior to entering the lounges beyond Passport Control) to decentralised security (checks at the gate).
"Under European regulations, arriving and departing passengers are not permitted to have contact with each other if they have not undergone a security check according to the rules set by the EU. This is why, given the specific infrastructure of the terminal, Schiphol imposes a security check just before boarding at the gate for non-Schengen destinations.
"The implementation of the European regulations in 2006 for fluids required us to take measures for taking fluids on board that were purchased in shops before passengers had undergone the security check at the gates. Thanks to these additional measures, including the introduction of special packaging, camera surveillance and integrity checks on purchased goods, this potentially dangerous situation was reduced to an acceptable level of risk.
"According to a programme on the Dutch SBS television broadcasting station this set of safety precautions can be circumvented. This broadcast and subsequent publication of ways to get around the safety measures have increased the risk and have forced Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to apply additional measures at the recommendation of the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism (NCTb).
"As from today various risk management measures will be taken in the airport's Non-Schengen lounges, including the following:
increased security with additional personnel in the See Buy Fly shops;
checks carried out on fluids purchased from the See Buy Fly shops;
shops selling only a limited amount of fluids will terminate the sale of these products.
"In addition to these measures, we will look into possible long-term technological or infrastructural adjustments. Schiphol Group and the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism wish to emphasize that 100% safety can never be guaranteed - at Schiphol or any other airport. Air transport nevertheless remains one of the most secure means of transport."
COMMENT: Schiphol and the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism's statement today just highlights the nonsense that is Schengen and has always been Schengen.
The original dream that passengers would somehow be able to travel freely between Schengen member states is one of the main reasons why decentralised security and duty free stores exist at all. But the stark reality is that no one is allowed to travel freely between member Schengen states - or any other two states for that matter - without showing their passport... and usually more than once.
The statement's inference that this TV broadcast has somehow 'increased' risk and 'forced' AAS to take counter measures is also less than generous. The fact is that whether AAS or the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism likes it or not, a gaping hole in AAS' security and the decentralised security system has been identified and at least been partially closed. While AAS is obviously quite right that 100% safety can never be guaranteed, the Dutch SBS television station has probably done everyone a service - whether it was sensationalist, or genuinely trying to point out the weakness in security.
Fortunately, there are only a few airports in Europe that still have decentralised gate security alongside duty free shops which are located prior to the gates, with most locating all liquid purchase-based shops - especially duty free - on the post-security airside.
In fact, there have been many European airports where the landside shops have been all but closed - except for news and coffee shops - with check in and security moved forward into these spaces and airside retail areas expanded on the other side of immigration and security to compensate for the lost revenue.
Schiphol and all other airports should take note of this, since the mixing of domestic and international passengers - and visitors to the airport - is certainly not ideal where duty free shops are located prior to security. The dream and reality of Airport Cities can still be realised without duty free shopping being effectively based on the landside. As for Schengen and the original aim that passengers should be free to move between Schengen states with minimum fuss - this dream died after 9/11.
Schengen is actually an anomaly and should be seen as such and it would be a great shame if the great gains made on LAGs’ regulations fairly recently were impacted by this incident, since they have still not been formally ratified.
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