UK airlines say government plans to make airport workers the
first British nationals to carry
national ID cards will add to the industry's costs without
improving security.
The British
Air Transport Association (Bata) said none of its members liked
the proposal and most have signed a letter of protest to home
secretary Jacqui Smith.
Roger Wiltshire, Bata secretary general said there was no
additional security value for airports and it would serve only to
put people on the government register.
"We already have rigorous processes for identification and
checking that includes a criminal background check in accordance
with government regulations," he said.
Wiltshire said the industry was already battling rising fuel and
tax costs, so the last thing it needed was the additional cost of
ID cards at around £30 each.
The airline industry is unwilling to take on the cost of being
the first to adopt the ID cards when there is no guarantee the
scheme will be rolled out nationally.
The Conservative party has criticised the introduction of ID
cards and is widely expected to scrap the scheme if returned to
government.