Five-year-old Rebecca Jin had to leave her
favourite doll at Beijing Capital International Airport yesterday, after airport
security officials found that it contained liquid.
Rebecca's mother Jin Zhaohui, 35, finally persuaded her daughter to give up
the doll by promising to buy her a new one in the United States.
"We knew that liquids and gels were forbidden on airplanes before we got
here," said Jin, who was travelling with her three children on a United Airlines
flight yesterday afternoon.
However, she did not expect that the doll, a "Fairy Barbie," contained liquid
in its wings.
As Rebecca liked the doll very much and did not want to leave it at
first, airport staff and her mother tried to cut the wings open to let the
liquid flow out. But as they lacked suitable tools, they had to give up.
"There are many similar cases happening at the moment. People read the news
about liquids and gels banned on flights to the United States, but they just do
not reckon their face cream, lip balm or medicine is in the forbidden category,"
said Yang Yan, a United Airlines employee working at the airport.
Despite feeling exhausted after working non-stop for the past few days, she
said she was pleased that most passengers were showing understanding and
following her advice.
Due to tighter security checks, check-in time has increased.
"Security departments used to check an average 240 passengers per hour, now
they can only check about 130 passengers," said Li Wei, who is in charge of
security checks for flights to the US.
"Our staff are working over time. They do not even have time to go to the
washroom or drink some water," said Li.
In order to ease pressure on the 21 staff at channels 15 to 18 where
passengers for the United States pass through, Li has added 10 more personnel.
There are also three guides handing out leaflets in the
international departure hall and suggesting passengers, especially women, put
their cosmetics into checked luggage before it is too late.
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