MSP questions security measures at Stornoway airport

Highlands and Islands Labour MSP Rhoda Grant has raised concerns about intrusive personal searches being carried out by security officers at Stornoway and Benbecula.

She has written to Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL), the operators of the airports, who have promised to investigate the issue.

Mrs Grant explained: “I recently visited the Western Isles and was surprised to hear the number of complaints people made regarding the security arrangements at Benbecula and Stornoway airports.

“Locals felt that security checks were extremely intrusive and undignified and that staff showed a lack of respect for customers. This meant it was off-putting to fly.”

”Stornoway and Benbecula”

She went on: “While everyone understands the need for security checks, the people I spoke to had also faced security checks on the mainland when making a return journey and found them to be professional.

“Therefore it was not the fact that they were being security checked that was the problem, it was the manner in which this was carried out.”

In a reply to Mrs Grant, Inglis Lyon, HIAL’s Managing Director, said that the provision of security was brought in house from an external provider to a HIAL subsidiary, Airport Management Services (AMSL).

He said: “I will raise the matter directly with the Security Manager Alan Shaw and the Airport Managers at both Stornoway and Benbecula, Duncan Smith and Tim Smith respectively.”

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