Edinburgh security rules create painful delays

Key Points

EGPH/Edinburgh airport has a rule that means all aircraft have to go through outbound security screening, regardless of weight or type of flight.
Airport Spy reports suggest this can easily take an extra hour to complete, so plan for departure delays.
If planning a trip to the region, consider EGPF/Glasgow instead!

There’s a rule in the UK that means outbound security screening is required for commercial flights over 10 tonnes MTOW, and all flights over 45.5 tonnes whether commercial or private.

But at EGPH/Edinburgh, outbound screening is required for all flights, regardless of weight or type of flight.

This means all crew and pax must pass through security, and abide by the 100ml liquid rule for carry-on luggage.

A recent Airport Spy report says that this whole process took around an hour, and they were the only crew there at the time!

Another Airport Spy report says to consider using EGPF/Glasgow instead, where they just have the standard UK rules for screening, and also don’t have arrival or departure slots.

Painful.

Less painful.

The reason that EGPH/Edinburgh has this strange rule is something to do with it being a “Critical Part” airport.

What is a “Critical Part” airport?

Some folks we spoke to called this term “Critical Park”, others “Critical Path”, but we think it’s “Critical Part”.

Either way, there’s nothing about it in the UK AIP or seemingly anywhere else online.

It’s apparently something to do with how the specific layout of the airport affects zoning for security purposes.

And that’s all we know.

Are there any other UK airports that do this?

Yes. EGLL/Heathrow and EGKK/Gatwick both have the same rule: all outbound flights must have security screening here.

We contacted a whole bunch of other airports (EGSS/Stansted, EGGW/Luton, EGMC/Southend, EGLC/London City, EGTK/Oxford, EGLF/Farnborough, EGKB/Biggin Hill), and they all said the same thing: no weird stuff here – the normal UK rules apply.

So tell me the rules again?

EGPH/EGLL/EGKK: Outbound screening is required for all flights, regardless of weight or type of flight.

All other UK airports: Outbound screening only required for commercial flights over 10 tonnes MTOW, and all flights over 45.5 tonnes whether commercial or private. (May 2026 edit: Some airports may accept a waiver/declaration process for private aircraft operating under an approved reduced-MTOW configuration below 45.5T.)

2 Comments

Luca Bandini says:

19 June, 2024 at 10:45 am

Manchester is a similar shit show..

Wade Saxton says:

19 June, 2024 at 8:54 am

This has been the case for at least a year.
They also screen one airplane at a time. So arriving early means you just sit in the lounge until it’s your turn.
Basically they can handle one airplane every 20 minutes and you’ll probably get screened with your PAX. Sometimes you’ll get screened with the PAX of the airplane before you so you’ll get a 20 minute prep time before your PAX but do t count on it.

It’s not the screening rule so much as it is the process Signature uses to implement the rule.

Edinburgh security rules create painful delays