Aviador

Administrator
Staff member
Subscriber
Jan 12, 2009
17,722
373
HEAD OFFICE
United-Kingdom
Related topics can be posted here. Please be reminded that this is a public forum. Do not post things that could hinder airport or airline security.
 
  • Thread starter
  • Admin
  • #2
Armed man tasered at Gatwick Airport

A man was shot with a Taser stun gun today by police at Gatwick Airport after being spotted carrying a handgun on a bus heading for the airport.

The man, in his 40s, boarded a bus from nearby Crawley at around 02:00 this morning and a passenger raised the alarm after seeing him with the gun. He went into the South Terminal where he was apprehended by police who used a Taser to disable him. The incident is not thought to be terror-related.

The spokesman confirmed the man was arrested and taken into custody at Crawley, where he remains awaiting questioning. Police are asking for anyone who witnessed the incident to contact them on 0845 60 70 999 quoting reference 136 of 29/07

Source

Just a typical day in Crawley. :rolleyes:
 
  • Thread starter
  • Admin
  • #3
Gatwick flight laser incident

A pilot was dazzled by a handheld laser pen at 9,000ft as he tried to land a passenger airliner at Gatwick on Tuesday night. Police said the device was being used somewhere in Crawley, and appealed for anyone with information on the incident to come forward.

The easyJet flight landed safely at 19:05, and a police spokesman described the laser attackers as 'mindless idiots'. Sergeant Darren Taylor said: ‘At 9,000ft there was someone from the Crawley area shining a green laser pen into the cockpit. We're asking if people saw anyone using a laser pen in the Crawley area last night.'

‘We've been here before and these mindless idiots are going to cause a serious problem one day. What they think is a stupid bit of fun is a serious offence. Anyone with information should call Sussex Police on 0845 6070999

Source
 
  • Thread starter
  • Admin
  • #4
Man faces jail after Gatwick gun threat

A grief-striken man who walked into Gatwick Airport and pointed a replica gun at a female worker has been told to expect a jail sentence. David Sheehan, from Bewbush, was tasered by police after he went into the airport on July 29 and pointed the replica gun at a Boots worker at around 03:00.

The 46-year-old appeared before Hove Crown Court and pleaded guilty to possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. At a previous hearing, the court was told Mr Sheehan had been overwhelmed by grief after the death of his father and had taken a gun into the airport as he wanted to be shot by police and die himself.

At the hearing on Tuesday he was warned he could be given a custodial sentence. He will be sentenced on January 21

Source
 
Sounds to me as though he needs help rather than prison.

The gaols are full enough as it is and deserving prison cases are often let off with a finger wagging.
 
Body scanners to be discusses by Gatwick group

The use of full body scanners - so called 'naked' scanners that produce a nude image of the person being scanned to check for weapons or explosives - to improve passenger safety is one of the items on the agenda for the next meeting of airport user group GATCOM – the Gatwick Airport Consultative Committee.

The next GATCOM meeting is taking place on Thursday (April 22) at the Sofitel Gatwick, from 14:00, and is open to the public. Members of the committee will be discussing a paper summarising the Department for Transport's consultation on a code of practice for the acceptable use of the new security scanners at airports. They are also expected to hear more about future plans for the airport, which was sold in December 2009 by BAA to Global Infrastructure Partners, with several foreign investors since buying stakes in the hub.

Source
 
Gatwick spotters get security briefing

Sussex Police and Gatwick Airport joined forces to brief aviation enthusiasts on security around the airport in order to help keep the airport and local communities safe from terrorism. Police have operated a voluntary Photo ID card scheme at the airport for the many aviation enthusiasts who visit the airport on a regular basis. There are currently over 200 members and last Saturday the first-ever security awareness briefing day for them took place at the airport.

A number of the spotters attended and were briefed using a series of short presentations on the current threats to aviation. They were also encouraged to continue to report anything suspicious they may see or hear whilst out and about enjoying their hobby around the perimeter.

Inspector Mark Callaghan said: ‘The genuine aviation enthusiasts who come to the airport are very co-operative with our patrols and can act as extra pairs of eyes and ears, especially around the airport perimeter. It was an encouraging start, and we will definitely plan another such event next year.’ (They might pick a day outside the summer peak and when England are not playing in the world cup, which would boost attendance !)

Source
 
Gatwick drug smugglers jailed

Two men have been jailed for a total of 16 years after being caught trying to smuggle £700,000 of cocaine into Gatwick Airport. Ashley Keane, 22, and Christopher Clifford, 28, both from Sheep Street in Bicester, were caught with drugs in their luggage after being stopped at the airport on Monday, May 3. They both admitted smuggling the class A drugs into the UK from Portugal and were jailed for eight years each at Croydon Crown Court.

The two men arrived at Gatwick on an easyJet flight from Lisbon. Both claimed they had been on holiday in Peru from April 7, before flying to Madrid, Spain, and then on to Portugal. Mr Clifford, a fork-lift driver, and Mr Keane, a roofer, were each carrying around three kilos of liquid cocaine, which were discovered in small bottles in their wash bags.The drugs were worth an estimated £700,000 on the street.

Source
 
Wrong passenger clears Gatwick security and gets on to plane

An unauthorised passenger managed to board a Ryanair flight from Gatwick to Dublin last week after passing four separate security checks, despite not having a valid boarding card for the flight, the Irish Business Post reports. Ryanair only detected the passenger after a manual headcount minutes before the aircraft doors were due to be closed for take-off did not agree to the manifest. The flight last Sunday was delayed for 25 minutes while Ryanair crew and ground staff identified what had caused the discrepancy.

Two of the security checks were operated by Gatwick airport security staff, the other two by Ryanair agents. All four checks required passengers to produce a valid boarding card. The passenger was asked to leave the aircraft when the discrepancy was identified and complied with the request. The newspaper reports that she was in possession of a boarding card for a Ryanair flight from Gatwick to Dublin later in the week, and was believed to have mistakenly thought she was booked on the flight in question.

A Ryanair spokesman described the incident as ‘minor’. A spokeswoman for Gatwick said she was unable to comment on specific incidents.

Source
 
Family fined $22,500 and banned from flying after brawl on Virgin plane

Ten British holidaymakers were questioned by police on Thursday, with three members of the same family arrested and fined $7500 (£2300) each, with the alternative of one month in prison, after an angry brawl broke out 30,000 feet up on a Virgin Atlantic flight from Gatwick to Barbados, according to the Telegraph.

The cabin crew had to break up the fight, and police were waiting on the runway as the Boeing 747-400 landed to question 10 people. Three members of the same family were arrested and, after a court appearance on Friday, they were fined but not jailed. They were also banned by the airline from ever using its flights again and warned them that they would have to make other arrangements to get back to England.

Derek Edmond, 76 years old, his daughter Zoe King, 46, and her husband Martin, 49, pleaded guilty to being part of the ‘vicious’ brawl, which occurred toward the end of the flight. Police said Mrs King was celebrating her birthday. She and her family had been drinking for much of the flight when a Danish family sitting nearby accused them of being too noisy.

After the Danes complained, other passengers watched as Martin King and his wife swapped punches with the people sitting in front of them, the Daily Mail adds. As the crew tried for about an hour to contain the fracas in the rear of the plane, the pilot radioed ahead asking for police to meet the flight upon landing. The pilot also ordered the 229 passengers and 16-member crew to stay in their seats for the final hours of the flight.

Source
 
Re: Gatwick warns of ‘significant’ strike disruption

Gatwick warns of ‘significant’ strike disruption; advises passengers to rebook flights

Passengers arriving at Gatwick are likely to face ‘significant disruption’ when border control staff join strike action over pensions on Wednesday (November 30). Passengers are being advised to rebook their flights for alternative days and to contact their airline before travelling.

Hundreds of volunteers are being drafted in to help out during the ‘challenging’ day – though only immigration officers can man the border zone. Scott Stanley, Gatwick Airport’s Chief Operating Officer said: ‘We continue to work closely with the UK Border Agency and our airlines to ensure robust contingency measures are put in place to ensure disruption to passengers and airport operations is kept to a minimum. We would advise passengers to check with their airline to find out what plans and arrangements have been put in place.'

‘We recognise that this will be a challenging time for all airport passengers, and we would warn passengers to be prepared for the potential for significant disruption at the border zones on November 30. Unfortunately, airport staff cannot man the desks at the Border Zone but we will provide all necessary assistance to the Border Agency and we are determined to make sure that the needs and welfare of all our passengers will be met on the day. '

‘Hundreds of airport volunteers are planning to come in to provide the support and assistance needed on the day. All non essential work and meetings have been cancelled and all staff and managers will be out in the terminals providing information, refreshments and advice and to make passengers feel as comfortable as is practicable given the challenges we expect to face. We will keep our passengers informed of developments through a number of channels including the media, our website and Twitter.’

Source
 
Gatwick Airport in UK’s first end-to-end biometrics trial
  • Innovative biometric technology could simplify and speed up airport processes with self-boarding gates helping to reduce queues
  • Security also improved as system reduces risk of human error
  • 10,000 easyJet passengers set to take part in European flight trial
Gatwick Airport has today announced the UK’s first trial of end-to-end biometrics – where personal data collected at the airport’s self-service bag drops will be recognised by new automated self-boarding gates - simplifying and speeding up the process for passengers and reducing the risk of human error.

The trial is being run in partnership with easyJet - Gatwick’s biggest airline - and the new self-boarding technology will identify each passenger and verify that their passport, face and boarding card all match – a process which takes less than 20 seconds.

Passengers who wish to take part in the trial but who are travelling without luggage (i.e do not need to use self-service bag drop) will be able to have their data collected at the entrance to the boarding gate room.

The trial will be the first and most extensive of its kind in the UK and will run for at least three months so that around 10,000 passengers take part on the 43 Gatwick routes. This range should allow the airport to gather enough meaningful information to be able to spot trends and adapt the technology to ensure the optimum experience for passengers.

Gatwick will be looking at how long each interaction takes, what this means for queue times, how it simplifies the passenger journey, how passengers interact with the technology, and how intuitive the process is. The faster, more efficient process also has the potential to improve aircraft departure times.

Once all the data is gathered, the technology will be adapted and adjusted before taking the idea forward for airport-wide implementation.

The boarding process has traditionally been handled by airline staff, but can now be automated with this unique technology, reducing queue times and freeing up airline staff to assist those who need it most.

Gatwick has an ambition to reduce queue time and put passengers in charge of their time at the airport. Investment in technologies which automate the passenger processing part of travelling through an airport will help the airport to manage the ever increasing numbers who choose to fly from Gatwick.

Gatwick Airport’s Chief Operating Officer, Chris Woodroofe, said:

"Gatwick prides itself on providing innovative solutions to enhance the passenger experience at every touch point. With the rate of growth we have experienced, it is essential we are able to find more efficient ways of processing passengers through the airport safely and securely. Self-boarding technology is the obvious next piece in the jigsaw following extensive investment in our automated check-in and security processing areas.

“I’m excited to see this trial come to life with easyJet’s passengers. Together we are at the forefront of providing technological solutions that enhance the passenger journey”.

easyJet’s Director of Ground Operations, Karen Cox, said:

“We are trialling new facial recognition technology at Gatwick for the first time which, if rolled out, could revolutionise the boarding experience for our customers. The technology streamlines the processes our customers go through, saving them time and enhancing their travel experiences.

“Whilst still in its very early stages this project is clearly consistent with our digital strategy of continuing to innovate to make passengers’ journey’s easier at every stage of their interaction with us - from searching and browsing for a flight through to stepping off the aircraft in their destination.“

The boarding process is the final part of the automated journey to be developed, and it follows Gatwick’s implementation of innovative self-service bag drop technology three years ago, and the opening of the largest self-service bag drop facility in the world in 2015. Five airlines are currently using this self-service bag drop technology at Gatwick with excellent passenger feedback, and a further five airlines due to adopt the technology soon.
 

Upload Media

Upgrade Your Account

Subscribe to help support your favourite forum and in return we'll remove all our advertisements. Your contribution will help to pay for things like site maintenance, domain name renewals and annual server charges.



Forums4aiports
Subscribe

NEW - Profile Posts

9 trips in 9 days done 70 miles walked and over 23-00 photos taken with a large number taken at 20mph or above. Heavy rain on 1 day only
5 trips done and 45 miles walked,. Also the RAF has had 4 F35B Lightning follow me yesterday and today....
My plans got altered slightly as one of the minibus companies had to cancel 3 trips and refunded me but will be getting nice discount when I rebook them.
wondering why on my "holidays" I choose to get up 2 hours earlier than when going to work. 6 trips in 6 days soon coming up with 3 more days to sort out

Trending Hashtags

Advertisement

Back
Top Bottom
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website. For the best site experience please disable your AdBlocker.

I've Disabled AdBlock