EC pledges action on airport confiscation

Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, has pledged speedy action to deal with the ongoing issue of liquids – including duty free liquor purchases – being confiscated at airport security. He has also promised to raise the issue with his American counterparts at the next EU-US summit.

The travel retail industry has been severely impacted by the high level of confusion among passengers since the liquid explosive plot in August. In particular the trade has been undermined by security officials liberating purchases from transit passengers – unconfirmed stories claim that at least one bottle of Rémy Martin Louis XIII has been ‘confiscated’.

The trade lobbying effort has been spearheaded by ETRC president Frank O’Connell. He explains that while actual losses so far have been relatively minor, “the real impact will only be felt in a couple of months time when the thousands of people who have lost what they have bought travel again. Are they going to buy?”