As a frequent flyer, I was interested to learn that security checks at Britain's airports may be eased. I am constantly bemused by the way that standards and procedures vary so much from one country to another - couldn't this make for even more confusion? - Brian Murray
More confusion could be a good thing in the fight against terror, and in particular detecting attempts to smuggle weapons on board aircraft.
Current UK airport practices seem to me to be designed primarily to satisfy Department for Transport inspections rather than to confound terrorists intent on mass murder.
At present, all law-abiding travellers know exactly what they need to do to pass through the security checkpoint, and so do terrorists. A security regime where, sometimes, a sniffer dog substitutes for the shoe check could make life tougher for terrorists.
Loosening the rules could also make life easier for you: the rule change is intended to incentivise airports to invest in technology. With the right technology, Gatwick and Heathrow could compete on reducing queues and accelerating searches. The new proposals make no mention of profiling. There are concerns that Asian men could be singled out for attention. But supporters of the concept insist that, when properly implemented, profiling is on behaviour rather than race or religion.
Email your travel queries to
[email protected]