Rushen MHK Juan Watterson has welcomed a change of heart by staff at Gatwick over their domestic transfers policy.  Regular users of Gatwick airport will know that as they arrive their picture is taken and scanned again when entering the baggage reclaim area.  Until recently passengers transferring to flights to the Channel Islands had to leave the departures area through the baggage area and go through security again.  Describing the system as “Byzantine and ineffective”, Mr Watterson wrote to the airport who initially claimed that this was for security reasons.  However, when pushed and challenged, they have ‘clarified’ the matter and will now permit people making domestic transfers to change gate without having to re-enter security.
 
Mr Watterson added, “It is important that when people identify inefficiency or bad practise that they pick it up and challenge it.  Improving systems is something that we are used to in Government so I appreciate the staff at Gatwick looking again at their practices for their customers.  Hopefully this will allow a far smoother transit for people travelling between the Island and Channel Islands via Gatwick.  It is a victory for common sense.”