In a bid to protect airlines from fanatic attacks, the international civil aviation organization (ICAO) has issued out new rules. These guidelines are for testing gels, aerosols in hand luggage and liquids that may be used in ad hoc explosive devices on board in aircrafts.

In a speech briefing about these new rules, Roberto Kobeh González, ICAO’s Council president said the ICAO group of specialists is working upon the improvement of technologies for detecting all the necessary material with certain physical properties that could be used in explosive.

He added that only 1 bag per passenger will be acceptable but only one bag per passenger would be permitted, save for baby milk or foods, medications, and special nutritional requirements.

These new enhancements have been adopted after the new measures were adopted by ICAO after a disenchanted terrorist plot on August 9, 2006 in the United Kingdom to detonate some 10 trans-Atlantic flights.

To ease screening, the plastic bags holding liquid containers have to be handed in separately from other cabin baggage, coats and jackets or laptops.

Recommendations are to be implemented no later than March 1, 2007, and ICAO’s aviation security panel would keep on revising overall list of prohibited items for Council appraisal in June.

ICAO’s body is based in Montreal, Canada, and it had restricted liquids to containers of not more than 100 milliliters placed in a re-sealable transparent plastic bag, which should be completely closed.

By Tanah Hadijah

Uganda Travel News