Originally Posted by
skytrain10
I think the UK authorities have the misguided belief that if you keep the viewers away from the airport you ease the pressure on security.
Not at all, I don't think the "security" authorities think of this at all. Their principal desire to to at least maintain, and where possible expand, their whole bureaucratic structure and budget. Eliminating spectator areas is good Low Hanging Fruit for these people, who have to keep finding new changes and variations to the status quo each year, before those who fund them start asking too closely "what exactly do they do ..... ?".