The UK's largest airports are on course to miss a June deadline to install new scanners that would enable passengers to carry up to two litres of liquid in their hand luggage.
London airports Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, as well as Manchester, are all set to miss the deadline set by the UK's Department of Transport (DfT) to have the new more-powerful machines up and running in time for the summer travel season.
Without the new technology, passengers will still have to limit any liquids they want to carry on board to 100ml containers and place those in a transparent plastic bag.
The new scanners also allow passengers to pass through security checks without having to remove laptops from bags.
As some security lanes at the big airports will have the new equipment but others will not, passengers will have to stick to the existing rules regardless of the lane in which they find themselves.
Confusion for passengers?
The consumer group, Which? predicts the ensuing confusion will lead to delays in moving passengers efficiently through security.
“Airports falling behind on the June deadline for installing the new security scanners could create a lot of confusion for travellers about what the rules are for liquids and removing electronics at different UK airports, leading to more delays,” said Rory Boland, Which? travel editor.
“Over the past few years, certain airports have struggled with delays and keeping up with demand at peak holiday times.
“Airports must ensure they are fully staffed ahead of peak travel periods this year and clearly communicate with travellers about any changes to their security systems and rules to avoid unnecessary disruption.”
Gatwick said it had made “significant progress” in installing the new scanners at the airport's two terminals.
“We currently plan to have completed the major logistical operation required to install the remaining scanners in Q1 2025, after the busy summer peak period has concluded,” an official said.
Meanwhile, the Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which operates Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands airports, said it was “rolling out the new technology lane-by-lane” at its three hubs, with “several new lanes already in operation”.
A representative for MAG said the new scanners will be in place on a “large number of our security lanes by June 2024, with the full completion of the programme expected the following year”.
The scanners use CT X-ray technology to provide 3D images and are already introduced out at Teesside and London City airports, which are smaller than Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester. Heathrow has 146 security lanes in which to change over the scanning equipment, while some of the smaller airports have only 10.
Potential regulatory action
Technically, the big airports could face fines if they miss the June deadline.
However, there was some ambiguity in the original announcement.
In December 2022, the DfT gave the major UK airports until June 2024 to make the new scanner upgrades, but Transport Minister Mark Harper said the installation process “won’t happen straight away” and would take “two years to be fully implemented”.
As such, the large airports do not expect to incur fines as a result of missing the deadline.
An official from the DfT told The National it “wouldn’t rule out taking a range of potential regulatory actions”.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Indika
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NINE WINLESS GAMES
Arsenal 2-2 Crystal Palace (Oct 27, PL)
Liverpool 5-5 Arsenal (Oct 30, EFL)
Arsenal 1-1 Wolves (Nov 02, PL)
Vitoria Guimaraes 1-1 Arsenal (Nov 6, Europa)
Leicester 2-0 Arsenal (Nov 9, PL)
Arsenal 2-2 Southampton (Nov 23, PL)
Arsenal 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt (Nov 28, Europa)
Norwich 2-2 Arsenal (Dec 01, PL)
Arsenal 1-2 Brighton (Dec 05, PL)
The specs: 2019 GMC Yukon Denali
Price, base: Dh306,500
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Power: 420hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 621Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.9L / 100km
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Brief scores:
Manchester City 2
Gundogan 27', De Bruyne 85'
Crystal Palace 3
Schlupp 33', Townsend 35', Milivojevic 51' (pen)
Man of the Match: Andros Townsend (Crystal Palace)
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
MATCH INFO
Karnatake Tuskers 114-1 (10 ovs)
Charles 57, Amla 47
Bangla Tigers 117-5 (8.5 ovs)
Fletcher 40, Moores 28 no, Lamichhane 2-9
Bangla Tiger win by five wickets
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
