What to expect when going through security at our airport
Before you enter the departure lounge, you need to go through the security cordon. As part of the required security checks, you will be asked to:
- Present your boarding pass to the security operative, who will check that it is valid.
- Take off all outerwear such as coats, boots, high heeled shoes, hats, scarves, gloves, and place these in the trays provided.
- Remove anything in your pockets, for example phone, coins, wallet, passport, and place these in the trays provided.
- Remove all large electronic items such as tablets, cameras, spare lithium batteries, hair dryers and straighteners from your bag(s) and place them in one of the trays provided. When placing these items in the trays you must make sure that they don’t overlap. If they do you will need to use more than one tray.
- Place any liquids, aerosols, pastes, and gels that are in a container of 100ml or less, into a clear plastic bag which is available in the security cordon. The bag must not be knotted or tied at the top. This should be separate from your main bag(s) and placed in the tray. Each passenger may only carry one of these bags.
- Place your bag(s) flat within the tray.
The trays will then pass through our security screening equipment, and you will be asked to wait until a security operative calls you forward.
When called please make your way through the archway walk through metal detector.
When passing through the archway metal detector, it may alarm.
If you have any metallic objects on your person, the alarm will sound. This could be the result of joint implants, footwear, coins, or metal items carried in pockets, some underwire underwear, hair clips or jewellery.
The archway metal detector may also activate on a random basis. This is part of the regular testing that we must carry out to meet specific UK regulatory requirements. These requirements are the same at every UK airport. However, the equipment in place at our airport may vary from other airports. The equipment and different types of security checks in place at our airport meet the regulatory requirement for an airport of our size.
What will happen if the alarm sounds when going through the archway metal detector?
Changes to security procedures on 1 June 2024
Due to changes in regulations, passengers are now able to:
- Leave all electronic devices in their hand baggage for screening.
Please note that restrictions on carrying liquids over 100ml in hand luggage were reintroduced at HIAL airports at 00.01 on Sunday 9 June 2024. The Department for Transport made the decision to allow changes to be made to the X ray screening equipment. Read more here