This page has been archived and is no longer updated. Find out more about page archiving.
Skip to main contentAccess keys helpA-Z index
BBC Learning EnglishLaunch BBC Media Player
  • Help
  • Text only
You are in:Learning English > News English > Words in the News
Learning English - Words in the News
11 August, 2006 - Published 14:49 GMT
Security scare hits airport economy
Gatwick airport, London
Delays and security checks - bad for business?

Stringent security restrictions, including an almost total ban on hand luggage, remain in place at British airports after an alleged plot to blow up passenger aircraft. The incident triggered an intense debate on levels of airport security and the economics of running both airports and airlines. This report from Mark Gregory:

Listen to the story

In the short term the financial fall out on airlines from Thursday's security alert at Britain's airports is not likely to be serious. Shares in British Airways, the British flag carrier, for example, have already begun to recover after falling five percent on Thursday. But both airlines and airports face some serious economic issues in the longer term, especially if restrictions on carrying hand luggage remain in place.

The bulk of airline profits come from business travellers flying in higher priced seats. How much of this lucrative traffic would disappear if business flyers were permanently barred from taking their laptops as hand luggage? It's an issue the airlines may have to grapple with.

Airports face equally serious concerns. Sales of luxury goods and duty free items to travellers waiting for flights bring in large amounts of revenue. How much of this would disappear if travellers were no longer allowed to take what they've bought onto the plane? By one estimate, global airport sales of duty free drink, perfume and so forth amounted to 27 billion dollars last year. Tougher airport security restrictions could undermine the economics of airlines, airports, and of luxury goods manufacturers, the likes of Gucci and Prada, who make healthy profits from airport sales.

Listen to the words

stringent security restrictions
extreme measures to protect against attack

triggered an intense debate
set off or started a sharp discussion

financial fall out
a negative effect on the cash flow of somebody or something

the bulk of airline profits
the largest part of the money earned by airlines

lucrative
something that makes a lot of money

permanently barred from taking their laptops
stopped from now on from carrying their laptop computers onto the airplanes

to grapple with
struggle with

and so forth
and other things of a similar kind

undermine the economics of airlines
weaken the finances of airline companies

SEARCH IN LEARNING ENGLISH
LATEST STORIES
27 May, 2011
Destruction of smallpox virus delayed
25 May, 2011
Micro-finance 'misused and abused'
20 May, 2011
Lonely planets
18 May, 2011
Germany to invest in more electric cars
16 May, 2011
Argentina builds a tower of books
Other Stories