Posted on April 11, 2008 by Fiona Hilliard

European air passengers will now be able to view the same list of items banned from carry-on luggage as airline staff after the European Union amended its laws.  Previously, the list had been available to staff only for security reasons.  The public were allowed to view an amended list only, which created confusion.  Some travellers were even banned from getting on flights because they had items on the secret list. 

The new security legislation requires all EU governments to keep a single, public list of banned carry-on items. 

The issue came to light recently in the case of German traveller Gottfried Heinrich, who was ordered off a plane in Vienna in 2005 because he was carrying tennis racquets, ‘allegedly prohibited items’ according to the advocate general.
Heinrich took the case to court in Austria which has referred it to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.  EU Advocate-general Eleanor Sharpston had urged the European Court of Justice to the EU law on carry-on items lists, saying it was illegal to maintain a list that travellers could not consult.