Airport shops oppose one handbag rule

Bangalore: It’s not just the passengers who are complaining about the rule allowing only one piece of hand baggage in an aircraft. The rule, enforced since a plot to blow up an aircraft was foiled in London in August 2006, has the owners of shops at airports up in arms as well.
With passengers shopping for as less as possible because of this rule, shopkeepers complain that it is resulting in losses for them even as authorities maintain that security is their chief concern. In fact, shop owners are keenly awaiting the verdict on a petition filed by Syed Siraj.
Siraj, who owns two stationery shops at the transit lounge in the Chennai airport, has filed a writ petition saying that the rule has affected his business and asked that the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) be ordered to allow passengers to carry an additional hand baggage. Alternatively, he demanded a remission or exemption of the rent charged by the AAI for the shop. He claimed that he had lost Rs four lakh of business sine the implementation of the rule. The AAI and CISF have been given notices to file their counter statements.
27/03/07 Bhargavi Kerur/Daily News & Analysis

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Categories: Airports Mar 2007