Baggage rules draw mixed reaction from air travellers

Dubai/Abu Dhabi: The days of carrying a bag full of drinks, tins of moisturizer and other sorts of liquids aboard a plane as hand baggage are over.

New security regulations mean that liquids taken in cabin baggage must be in containers of 100ml or less, carried in a transparent re-sealable plastic bag.

The rules were introduced at Dubai International Airport on June 17, and Sharjah International Airport and Abu Dhabi International Airport were due to begin implementing the new rules yesterday.

Exceptions to the 100ml rule can be made, under certain conditions, for goods like duty free purchases made at the airport.

City Talk spoke to residents of Abu Dhabi and Dubai to find out if they were prepared for the new rules and asked them if they were likely to be affected.

Elias Bakkar, a fitness instructor from Tunisia, said he was not ready for the new travel regulations.

"I don't think it's such a good idea. I mean it's hard not to keep fluids with you on the plane, especially your bottle of perfume. I hope it won't cause confusion for passengers," he said.

Sara Salera, a Filipina who works for an exhibition company, was similarly unenthusiastic about crackdown on liquids in hand luggage.

"It's a pain, especially if you are on a long flight. You have to be very conscious of what you pack now. Before I was able to pack my perfume in my hand luggage," she told City Talk.

Shaikh Mohammad, 36, a sales executive from India, said he too had reservations about the new rules. "It will affect me because of the inconvenience. Sometimes I used to take liquids in my hand luggage," he said.

Patrizia, 25, from Germany, told City Talk that she felt the new procedures were "unnecessary".

"Actually, for me it doesn't make a difference whether I hold the liquids in my hand, plastic bag or in the luggage. I don't think the procedure is even necessary," she said.

Maher Hajj, 33, from Syria said he was not prepared for the new regulations.

"If they think the procedure is for the security and safety of people then everyone should do it. I'm actually not prepared for it but I definitely will comply," he said.

Samira Shaikh, 30, a marketing coordinator from India, said the new rules should not cause problems, as people were still allowed to carry liquids in their checked-in luggage.

"I prefer not to carry a lot of stuff in my hand luggage. I prefer as little hand baggage as possible, so in a way [the new rules] are a good thing," she said.

She added that the new rules should not be a headache for passengers who like to take moisturizers and other creams on board to use during the flight. "You can still carry small sample containers, so you can just carry those instead. How much can you use during one flight?" she said.

Katriona Whiteley, a manager from the United Kingdom, said she had already travelled on flights where the new regulations were in force, so she knows what to expect in future.

"I travel from the UK to Abu Dhabi a lot, and we already [have restrictions] in the UK, so I don't have a problem with it," she said.

Nawal Kateb, from Syria, said she was content to adhere to the new rules on hand baggage.

"It's better to do it than having security at the airport searching through your entire bag. I hope the plastic bags will be provided at the airport rather than us bringing them, it saves time," she said.

Will Buck, 30, a recruitment consultant from the UK, said the new regulations were "not an issue" for him.

"I've never had to carry much on board as hand luggage. I don't think the new rules will affect people massively," he said.

Buck said that since the new rules had been brought in for security reasons, he had no problem with them.

Supervisor Omar Busher, 27, from Sudan, was similarly relaxed about the incoming regulations.

"They won't affect me. It's a good idea as it is for safety," he told City Talk.

Busher said he occasionally carried drinks and duty free goods on board as hand baggage, but would not have a problem adhering to the new stricter rules.

A similar view was put forward by Rosario Dacunha, 35, a marketing representative from India.

"Safety is the priority. It doesn't really bother me. I have not really carried liquid items in the past," he said.