Hong Kong baggage security rules at odds with procedures at top airports and all US hubs
Government says letting bags be screened without their owner is in line with international standards. But many others do not allow it
Hong Kong airport’s decision to allow carry-on bags to be screened without the owner present is at odds with the practice at three of the world’s top airports and the rules that cover all of the US.
Local officials have said the procedure is in line with international standards, but at airports in Singapore, London and Munich, passengers must be present when the bags are screened, before they enter the restricted zone.
This means that if they realise after the security check that they left a carry-on bag on the other side, they will have to go out, retrieve it and clear security again. The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which oversees security at all US airports, recommends the same.
Leung Chung-yan had cleared security to take a Cathay Pacific Airways flight when she realised she had misplaced a bag. After her father called the airline for help, airport staff found the bag outside the restricted area, took it through security and delivered it to her at the gate.