Tighter security leads to delays in airports

Mr Ailbe O'Sullivan, from Mayo, inadvertently delayed his friends at Dublin Airport when items were removed from his bags during a pre-check-in search yesterday afternoon.

He was departing for Newark to embark on a road-trip from New York to Washington.

Mr O'Sullivan's nail clippers and razor blades were confiscated by a security guard during a search that lasted at least 10 minutes.

"I'll be getting very hairy over there but it's a small price to pay. The security guy did a very thorough job and if I was a terrorist, I'm sure he would've caught me," he said.

Aer Rianta has advised passengers travelling this weekend to avoid delays by using common sense when packing luggage. Anything that might be construed as a weapon should not be carried.

A spokeswoman called on passengers to make allowances for the time-consuming "continuous checking" procedures.

An Aer Lingus spokesman, Mr Declan Conroy, said transatlantic flights would close an hour prior to departure. The check-in desks open three hours before take-off.

Passengers booked on flights to European destinations should check-in an hour before departure.

However, he warned that passengers taking a connecting flight to London must collect their luggage in London and recheck it before boarding the plane to their final destination. Only one small piece of hand luggage is allowed in the cabin of the aircraft and contents should be restricted to essentials.

Items that are not permitted include knives, darts, scissors, knitting needles, sporting bats and toy or replica guns.

Hypodermic syringes are generally not allowed but passengers who need them for medical purposes must bring proof from their doctors.

While there were long queues for check-in for some flights yesterday, Mr Conroy said passengers could expect limited disruption and "relative normality" at airports this weekend.

He said passengers were adapting well to the arrangements, with some particularly conscientious American passengers arriving up to four and a half hours before their departure time.

Meanwhile, passengers arriving in Dublin yesterday had mixed reports of security levels at international airports.

Mr Michel Benita, a musician from Paris, had arrived to perform in the Dublin Jazz Festival. He was amazed that he had not been asked to open his double-bass case for a security check. "I was surprised. They should check every single piece of luggage like they do in Israel," he said.

Security personnel in Stockholm discovered a pair of surgical scissors in the suitcase of Ms Amanda Field, a New Zealand nurse. However, after a few questions, the scissors were handed back and she boarded her flight to Dublin. Airline companies with flights departing from Dublin and Shannon said they expected schedules to operate as normal at the weekend. A Continental Airlines spokeswoman said suitcases with wheels could no longer by classed as hand luggage.