IAG chief executive Willie Walsh has called on governments and airports to rethink security arrangements to improve the experience of airline passengers.
Walsh said that security was currently the “most frustrating” part of using airports for the company’s travellers.
“Factors outside of our control are the most difficult and challenging experiences – it’s mainly security which frustrates everybody,” said Walsh during the Airport Operators Association (AOA) conference in London.
“We are heavily regulated from a security point of view and the customer experience is more influenced by government regulation than anything we do.
“I don’t know why it’s necessary to take off your shoes in some airports – there must be a better way of using technology to improve security rather than following the same old processes.
“The airline industry would have gone bankrupt if we were still doing the same things as 20 years ago. Some airports do it well but some should be doing it better.
“We should start with a blank sheet of paper to look at the threats and see what we should do. This would be better than just reacting to the last experience and imposing new restrictions.”
Walsh criticised the lack of consistency in the way security measures were being enforced at different airports.
“You go through some airports and you have to take your iPad out but at other airports you don’t have to do this, and it’s the same with taking off your shoes,” he added. “People need to understand why it has to be done.”
Walsh also joked that passengers may soon have to go through security dressed in “hospital gowns” because of the implementation of stricter rules.