No plans for tougher carry-on luggage restrictions at Finnish airports

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Finnish aviation authorities are not planning to implement tighter restrictions on carry-on items for airline passengers.
      "We do not wish to make any sudden moves on our own that we would have to correct later", said Kauko Lehtinen, head of security at the Finnish civil aviation authority.
      Lehtinen added that Finland’s aim is to follow the general guidelines of the European Union countries.
      The terror alert at British airports has affected the travel plans of thousands of Finnish passengers with the UK as a destination or a transit point.
      "People have tried to avoid London. Alternate routes have been sought, and flights have been changed", says Mirja Kuovi-Pekkanen at Finnair, who is responsible for travel guidelines.
      Kuovi-Pekkanen noted that it is difficult to avoid confusion in international aviation when security rules suddenly change.
     
Aila Rissanen-Howells, en route to Britain, was not bothered by the restrictions on carry-on luggage.
      "Too much hand luggage adds to clutter on the plane. I’m taking my coat, rye bread, and something to read into the passenger cabin", Rissanen-Howells said.
      However, Simona Giurgea, en route to New York with her family, was upset when she had to do some repacking.
      "Camera, camera lenses, wires, chargers, iPod, and adapters", Giurgea said, listing the goods that she had to take out of her carry-ons and put in her checked luggage.
      "We read the instructions on the Finnair web site, but they were not specific enough", Giurgea said.
      Most upset was eight-year-old Una Giurgea, who was not allowed to take a Nintendo game with her.
      "She will probably have a boring flight", Simona Giurgea said.
     
British authorities eased their restrictions on carry-on items on Tuesday.
      Passengers departing from UK airports will now be allowed to bring with them one piece of hand luggage the size of a laptop computer bag.
      With a few exceptions, Liquids will remain banned from the carry-ons.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Finnair London flights on schedule (14.8.2006)

Links:
  Finavia 11.8.06: Safety measures in UK flights

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