Palma Airport Security, Or Lack Of I Should Say!

[dfearns]

Earlier on today i returned from Palma after a 4 day break. Myself and my family went to check in for our flight, and my dad took the hire car back. We decided to check-in ourselves and keep my dads passport to one side. We gave the passport in and told the lady behind the desk that he was taking the car bak. She said it was ok, and she would check him in anyway. I was slightly surprised by this, as you cant do this in the UK. During the check-in NO security questions were asked! OK, so that isnt that bad, but the next part is a real worry for me. My dad came back from the hire car drop off point, he didnt know we were waiting next to the check-in desks for him. he assumed we had gone through and went up to security control WITHOUT a passport or boarding card. he was allowed through after telling the security guard we had already gone through so the guy let him through! he now is airside WITHOUT a passport or boarding card and has full access to the gates and possibly the aircraft. After a while he couldnt find us, so he assumed we had waited downstairs by the check-in and just walked bak out of airside, through security and was now land side, and was not stopped once by any of the guards on the point. Basically, Palma is a very large airport for the island and has a number of airlines flying out of it, and if it is that easy to get airside without a passport ect ect then its only a matter of time before something will happen, and the airport in Palma needs to really get its security sorted!!

Any thoughts off anyone?

[GK430]

I often visit PMI with a pass provided by AENA.

First of all the questions asked at U.K. airports: Did you pack your own case Yes/No..........what are you going to say. Are you carrying anything for anyone etc. etc. Nobody wires you up to a lie detector!

I can assure you, you will not get out of the gates without the necessary credentials. All gates are swipe card controlled.
CCTV coverage also appears efficient as I am regularly stopped by their contracted security or La Guardia Civil in the airside, even with a pass around my neck and high - vis.. I don't suggest you try it!

Last time I was stopped by four La G.C. and even though I was meant to be there, it sure raises the hair on the back of your neck.

Buenos tardes.

[dfearns]

i assure you i/he had no intentions of going onto the airfield, i was just pointing out that he managed to get through to the gates without a passport or boarding card, and then come back through again! which shouldn't happen in the first place!

[RAFAT]

Security Staff are not likely to bother with such trivialities when there are 'easy target' airline crew to hassle.

[SailorOrion]

In Europe, we have lived with the "no-boarding-pass-required-to-go-through-security" for decades, and it has turned out well.

Just in the post-911 hype they started quite blind reactionisnm here and there and requires people to carry boarding passes through check-in.

SailorOrion

[flightfrenzy]

...so effectively the security guards are there for what purpose? Just to look pretty? They're certainly always full of their own self-importance.

[BigMarv]

I had a funny experience in Palma. After getting off the transfer bus from the aircraft to the terminal I realised I had left my wallet on the plane. A Ground Services girl kindly took me back to the aircraft to get it and then took me back to the terminal. She dropped me off at a different enterance to where all the passengers from my flight had been dropped and told me just to walk through the corridor and I'll be where I needed to be. It only struck me as weird when I got my luggage and walked out of the terminal into the Majorcan sun and realised that I hadn't gone through passport control! You do have to laugh...

[FLYMATE]

Just go to the area with airline buildings outside the perimeter fence at Bournemouth Airport. Park your car at one of the buildings. Walk through a gate near the European Aviation aircraft parked there and you are airside. No security, no one asks anything...