With Brexit Coming, London Heathrow Officials Are Worried About...Rubber Gloves?
Two words: rubber gloves.
Yes — in preparation of a potential no-deal Brexit, London Heathrow Airport (LHR) staff have been stocking up all the rubber gloves and explosive detector swabs they can to ensure regular security checks on passengers through the transition. Those pieces of screening equipment ship from the EU.
As the March 29 deadline for the UK to leave the EU inches closer, LHR, which earned the top spot for the most connected airport in the world back in September, continues to see up to 200,000 passengers a day. If a no-deal Brexit passes, these air travelers could be looking at higher fares, immigration disputes and longer wait times to enter and exit the country.
So, as a measure to ensure that travel at the airport continues to run as smoothly as possible, LHR officials have been stockpiling essential materials produced outside of the UK for security checks such as rubber gloves and explosive detector swabs.
"Some of the other things that are more urgent are the rubber gloves that security officers wear when they are searching somebody. They come from the EU and if you don't have them, you can't search people," LHR chief executive John Holland-Kaye said to The Guardian. "The fabric swabs that we use for detection also come from the EU, and there isn't a UK supplier, so we need to make sure we've got a good stockpile of those. We've been working on that for some time."
Despite the setbacks a no-deal Brexit might cause for the airport, Holland-Kaye has expressed confidence that flights would continue as usual and that there wouldn't be stoppages on the importing and exporting of foreign goods.
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app