STANSTED COLLAPSES AGAIN

[White Cap]

Ryanair News
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

News Release
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12.09.06
STANSTED COLLAPSES AGAIN


Ryanair, the UK’s largest passenger airline, this evening (Tuesday, 12th September 2006) confirmed that unfortunately Stansted has been paralysed again tonight.

This evening just 8 out of 14 security points are open due to BAA’s inability to staff them.

It is now over four weeks since Ryanair called on the Government to provide support for BAA’s hard-pressed front-line staff by bringing in the police or army while their new ‘pointless’ and ‘nonsensical’ measures remain in place.

Over this four-week period NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. The Government refuses to recognise the inability of the BAA to staff these security points.

Here is what we called for over four weeks ago:

If the Government wants to double the number of security checks, why won’t they send in extra army or police personnel to help carry out these checks?
Why is the Government allowing large briefcases to be carried on board as ‘safe’, but ruling that the normal size carry on case is still unsafe? This rule is nonsensical.

If liquids, cosmetics and passenger luggage is really a threat to passenger safety, why is the Government still allowing these items to be carried on the London Underground and on Eurotunnel?

Tonight’s debacle demonstrations once again, that the current regime is unsustainable and it is now time for the BAA to face reality, and demand the assistance from the UK Government, along with an urgent return to normal IATA safety standard operations.