Luton-10

[avidspotter]

Terrifying. Must be something in the air. They were brawling in Luton too. https://metro.co.uk/2021/05/14/huge-...reet-14583393/

[Spanish eyes]

I heard it was over a distraction pickpocket attempt that went wrong with the husband or boyfriend taking offence at his other half being accused. There was then a battle between the Roma community and the rest. I heard there was not a single policeman airside at the time despite the airport being fully manned with the boys in blue so it just carried on and moved around departures with people lying unconscious around the building. Also this didn't happen tonight as I heard about it this morning.

[avidspotter]

I heard it was two rival family groups who were known to each other. Not sure the police would have been able to do anything even if they were airside. Personally I'd rather see them with their guns before security.

[BA318]

Surely the job of the police is to provide safety. Therefore they are best placed wherever that may be to do so. What good are they doing stood armed before security if there is a huge brawl going on behind them?

[Pain in the R's]

This wouldn't have happened at Heathrow or Gatwick as they have a better class of passenger. Luton on the other hand focuses on the bottom of the pile so this is what can happen. Fortunately the airport looks rather empty so there was plenty of space without the innocent getting in the way.

[avidspotter]

BA318

All I was trying to say is that the main job of the armed officers is to provide a deterrent and response for a terrorist attack, which is much greater before security. Therefore I'd rather see them landside most of the time. Not saying they shouldn't attend but question how they'd intervene with a big machine gun round their necks. I'm sure aiming at the fighters would stop them in their tracks, but it's not really an appropriate response and would unleash sheer panic in the terminal.

[TBSC]

Spanish eyes

Classic Luton. No police, doctor or ambulance when you need them.

[LTNman]

Actually this was Monday. Maybe someone had read the sign with the drop off charges, which is at this location.

[FRatSTN]

This wouldn't have happened at Heathrow or Gatwick as they have a better class of passenger. Luton on the other hand focuses on the bottom of the pile so this is what can happen.

I've seen some pretty idiotic comments in the nine years I've been on this forum, but that's a new record set here tonight!

[pamann]

avidspotter

But on first glance it could have been a terrorist attack kicking off. The police should have been on the scene ASAP to investigate. Let’s hope Luton is never a target for such in the future because going by this video it’s clear that there was no urgency for police/security to attend.

[davidjohnson6]

Whenever I've been at Luton, there usually seems to be a few officers sitting in a car in the coach station, next to the taxi rank - no idea why they alway seem to choose that spot. Were they available ?

[LTNman]

That is the location of 4 marked up police bays with at least 17 dedicated police officers based at the airport. The airport also has its own police HQ in the former Court Line building behind the hangar line and has stayed fully manned despite hardy any passengers. The airport doesn’t want any policing due to reduced passenger numbers, as they are paying the bill but the police were having none of it and refused to withdraw.


The link contains the top crimes reported to airport police for March https://www.police.uk/pu/your-area/b...luton-airport/

[avidspotter]

pamann

Given it can take 10 minutes or more to travel from one side of the airport to the other, the police responded as soon as they could. You can never guarantee they would be in the right place at the right time. Airport and shop staff did the right thing, staying out the fracas and looking after the other passengers.

[compton3bravo]

There have been many crass comments on this forum over the years but the one from avidspotter really takes the biscuit. All I can say is that he/she must be a rather sad, ignorant individual.
Bāck to relevant airline matters I see Wizz have added an extra Faro on the 28th May with the fares rather reasonable at the moment.

[avidspotter]

I shared my informed personal opinion. Feel free to disagree with me by all means and call me ignorant and sad if you wish, but at least qualify your statement. Which bit was crass?

[SCFC1EP]

Manchester airport always seems to have at least two armed officers patrolling airside even through covid times, these officers also walk along the piers pass the departure gates especially in terminal 1 which is some distance from the main departure area with shops/bars etc
Seems to me there was two reasons in incident at Luton, One the airport doesn't want to pay for policing because passenger numbers are very low due to covid, this is absolutely disgraceful if you lower your guard your more prone to attack (terroist or any other) remember airport busy or not are always a target
second police and security should be airside at all times,bars are always open at airports which could attract trouble although not in this incident, what if it had happened nearer to a departure gate and they forced the doors open and gone onto the airfield,

[avidspotter]

• You're right that having more police of any type has always got to be a good thing. But even if any officers were airside, it will still take them time to respond and with 20 odd people fighting there will be a limit to what a couple of officers can do until back up arrives, especially if they are armed because they can't get physically close and is it an appropriate response to draw arms?
• The point about Luton not paying for police may or may nor be true. I don't know because we've only heard their side of the argument through a politically elected and motivated police commissioner for a police force that is chronically underfunded.
• Aviation security officers are not bouncers and have a very specific remit, although they do patrol the terminal and entire airport. Again what is a security officer, terminal assistant or anyone else for that matter going to do in the face of 20 people kicking off?

[pabely]

TUI restating it's program next week with NBE being first destination, somewhere they have not been since mid Oct 2019 due to Covid.
FAO features understandably as busiest route overall from Luton and return of GIB , TFS, ALC, AGP & PMI by usual players.

[LTNman]

I have already stated that the airport are paying for the police but they wanted the police to be pulled from the airport due to low passenger numbers. I have had a dig around and found this article about it.
https://www.lutontoday.co.uk/news/tr...ckdown-2953701

Anyway the good news is that the police did turn up eventually and arrested 17 passengers. Four people were injured with 3 taken to hospital with serious injuries.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...herts-57127034

The fight is now being shown on TV in Eastern Europe. Well they say there is no such thing as bad publicity.

You Tube

[Spanish eyes]

I would doubt the airport will ban the passengers in question as it would cost the airport money. Many passengers frequently travel home for the weekend despite quarantine regulations.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-hospital.html

An onlooker told MailOnline the fight broke out after a man threw a bottle at another who was insulting a woman he was travelling with.