Worker criticises security at Coventry Airport
08.03.07
A holiday flight coming in to Coventry Airport had to pull out of the landing when a luggage truck was driven across the runway, according to a worker at the airport. Speaking to a local newspaper, she says that the pilot of the Boeing 737 jet with more than 100 passengers on board was forced to circle until the runway was cleared.
The angry worker at Coventry airport said that she has blown the whistle on the incident to highlight what she claims are poor safety standards. He told the newspaper: 'A vehicle was taken from one part of the airport to another and left there to load and unload from a cargo plane. Instead of waiting for an escort it made its own way back and went on to the runway when a 737 plane was coming down and it had to go back up and circle. If the lorry had been on the runway 10 seconds later I don't know what would have happened.'
In another incident, she says a passenger was caught carrying a CS gas canister but was not stopped from going on the flight nor reported to police. The worker, who asked to remain anonymous, claimed the passenger was found with the gas on a routine search at the airport about 10 days ago. But instead of informing the supervisor and police at the airport who could have questioned the traveller, the passenger was allowed to get on the plane.
She added: 'Morale in security is so low you could limbo under a sleeping snake's belly - it's down to management, not the owners. They don't seem to be doing anything for the personnel at the airport.'
A spokeswoman for the airport confirmed the two incidents identified by the worker had taken place.
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