Brussels Airport temporary check-in has drawn fierce criticism from Tony Tyler (IATA)

Tony Tyler, Director General and CEO of IATA strongly condemns the temporary check-in system at Brussels Airport, installed after the 22 March attacks.

Extending the security perimeter, as some have suggested, is not the solution. Look at what the pre-screening has done at Brussels Airport. It’s created large and dense crowds that could be targeted. Not to mention the huge inconvenience to people who want to travel. I experienced that myself last Friday. And I will experience it again this afternoon—likely in rain, but possibly in snow as well.

 

The focus surely has to be a return to normality as soon as possible. And by normality I mean ensuring that the airport doesn’t have artificial restrictions on its capacity just to reduce the queues. People want and need to travel. Normality means meeting that demand.

Many of our forum readers have experienced the temporary check-in system, comments range from “no one wants to fly in and out of an air force base” (member b720) to “I won’t stop using Brussels Airport” (member Flying Scout) and “at work we fly from again from BRU” (member Inquirer)

Link to full topic: reopening Brussels Airport after the 22/03/2016 terror attacks and comment!

Tony Taylor also made a special mention to the staff of Brussels Airlines and Brussels Airport:

I want to make special mention of our colleagues at Brussels Airlines, Brussels Airport and all the carriers who worked tirelessly to reconnect Europe’s capital to the world. Your impressive team effort has done our industry proud in demonstrating that terrorism will not defeat the values of a free and open society. And that is the best tribute that we can pay to the memories of the victims of that terrible day.

Source: Remarks of Tony Taylor at the European Aviation Club, Brussels