Leeds Bradford: Airport Security, Immigration & Border Control

[Aviador]

Broken. Moving bags from it to the last remaining lane

They operate like your PC or laptop. When something goes wrong they need to be turned off and rebooted. The scanner will then need to be tested to ensure it meets the necessary standards before it can be used again. It can take several minutes, so its easier to move everyone's bags to another scanner than keep people waiting.

There are supposedly another two lanes coming shortly. I think by the end of the month if I remember correctly.

 

[paully]

Well we were almost first in the queue at 3am when security opened..we were on assisted travel as my wife now needs a wheelchair...we went through quickly, well sort of..2 bags were waiting but a third, with my belt and hanky, both of which I needed 🤣 we really had to wait for...Although not busy queues were starting to build up..Plenty of staff on duty but the technology really was slow..The staff confirmed it so, clearly needs sorting quickly...They said at busy times the queues are awful...Their words..
That said we were through quickly..looked like 3 channels open...Hopefully just teething problems....

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Well we were almost first in the queue at 3am when security opened..we were on assisted travel as my wife now needs a wheelchair...we went through quickly, well sort of..2 bags were waiting but a third, with my belt and hanky, both of which I needed 🤣 we really had to wait for...Although not busy queues were starting to build up..Plenty of staff on duty but the technology really was slow..The staff confirmed it so, clearly needs sorting quickly...They said at busy times the queues are awful...Their words..
That said we were through quickly..looked like 3 channels open...Hopefully just teething problems....

The new screening area was supposed to bring immediate benefits. Lets hope they get this sorted asap.

 

[Aviador]

The new screening area was supposed to bring immediate benefits. Lets hope they get this sorted asap.

This is what Google thinks is happening:

• Passenger confusion: Travellers instinctively stop to unpack laptops and liquids out of habit, which slows down the conveyor loading area.

• Overly sensitive scanners: The 3D algorithms frequently flag everyday dense objects, triggering high volumes of secondary manual bag checks.

• Secondary queue jams: When the manual inspection lane fills up with flagged bags, the main scanner lane has to be completely paused.

• Slower image analysis: Security staff take longer per bag to rotate and analyze the new 3D images on screen while getting used to the system.

• Tight terminal space: LBA’s new, extra-long lanes leave less room for the main queue, causing backups to quickly spill over into the check-in hall.

• Return-trip anxiety: Passengers get confused about whether their destination airport uses the same rules, leading to slow-downs and questions at the trays.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

This is what Google thinks is happening:

• Passenger confusion: Travellers instinctively stop to unpack laptops and liquids out of habit, which slows down the conveyor loading area.

• Overly sensitive scanners: The 3D algorithms frequently flag everyday dense objects, triggering high volumes of secondary manual bag checks.

• Secondary queue jams: When the manual inspection lane fills up with flagged bags, the main scanner lane has to be completely paused.

• Slower image analysis: Security staff take longer per bag to rotate and analyze the new 3D images on screen while getting used to the system.

• Tight terminal space: LBA’s new, extra-long lanes leave less room for the main queue, causing backups to quickly spill over into the check-in hall.

• Return-trip anxiety: Passengers get confused about whether their destination airport uses the same rules, leading to slow-downs and questions at the trays.

A lot of this seems to be generic.

 

[Vzg94w]

Well we were almost first in the queue at 3am when security opened..we were on assisted travel as my wife now needs a wheelchair...we went through quickly, well sort of..2 bags were waiting but a third, with my belt and hanky, both of which I needed 🤣 we really had to wait for...Although not busy queues were starting to build up..Plenty of staff on duty but the technology really was slow..The staff confirmed it so, clearly needs sorting quickly...They said at busy times the queues are awful...Their words..
That said we were through quickly..looked like 3 channels open...Hopefully just teething problems....

It’s a complete shambles to be honest. Not all staff but the majority are just rude. No one is proactive with anything. Wait until queues are massive before opening other lanes. It’s like being in LIDL. Management are hiding away. Customer service staff generally just stand around looking busy. The whole airport needs are shake up

 

[Len Fish]

Let’s give it a chance, both the new technology and the staff using it. You can prepare and train all you like but it’s not until you use the equipment in the real world that you come across things that don’t work as intended, but then you need to act quickly to rectify, although LBA are probably in the hands of the manufacturer/supplier in respect of the new scanners. I agree though, no excuse for rude staff, even if they’re feeling frustrated at any shortcomings.

 

[Aviador]

A lot of this seems to be generic.

Generic because it is routinely what is likely the problem.

It’s a complete shambles to be honest. Not all staff but the majority are just rude. No one is proactive with anything. Wait until queues are massive before opening other lanes. It’s like being in LIDL. Management are hiding away. Customer service staff generally just stand around looking busy. The whole airport needs are shake up

I completely get why people get frustrated when a queue builds up and it looks like half the scanners are sitting empty from the passenger side, it feels completely reactive. But having worked this environment, the reality behind the scenes is a bit more complicated, especially right now as we hit the tail end of the summer season.
Once you get past September, load factors drop off sharply and the volume of high density holiday flights shrinks right down. Regional airports simply can't sustain peak summer staffing levels when flights are going out with significantly fewer passengers onboard. A huge portion of the summer workforce is on seasonal contracts that come to an end or wind down precisely during these shoulder months, so rostering gets very tight.
It doesn't excuse rude staff or poor communication when things do get bottlenecked, nobody wants to feel like they're being processed through a supermarket checkout. But the rhythm of an airport changes massively between August and October, and management are constantly trying to balance lean shoulder season rosters against strict compliance rules with very little wriggle room.

 

[White Heather]

'Shocking' queues see angry Ryanair passengers miss flight

One passenger called the situation at Manchester Airport an 'absolute shambles'

www.dublinlive.ie

Since some may think this is unique to LBA. Perhaps the problem is more to do with the new technology scanners trying to be too clever and therefore unreliable. I have seen similar complaints at various airports. Given LBA hasn't yet installed the final 2 it is currently prone to more disruption when problems occur. Hopefully, once all 5 are installed, in use, and staff better used to them, any problems won't be as disruptive with more back up available .

 

[Len Fish]

When problems arise just blame it on that foreign guy “Surge”!