26.04.2010

Tickets must be presented at the security control from 29 April

The EU regulation on verifying the right to travel is coming into force at all EU airports. Tickets will be inspected at the security control as of 29 April. Passengers will be requested to have their tickets ready for inspection.

The following will be valid as verification of the intention to travel:

• flight tickets and printouts of e-tickets,
• reservation confirmations sent as a text message or e-mail displayed on a mobile phone or a laptop computer,
• boarding passes issued at check-in desks or check-in kiosks, as well as boarding passes printed out from the Internet, and
• boarding passes sent as a text message displayed on a mobile phone.

The new EU regulation will have a particular impact on passengers travelling on domestic and European flights who have been used to security controls without the need to show a ticket. Flight information stored on airline loyalty cards or credit cards will not be valid for verifying the intention to travel. Passengers must be able to demonstrate the intention to travel with other travel tickets approved by the authorities.

At Helsinki Airport, a travel ticket, boarding pass or text message must be shown to the officer who will check passengers before entering the area to queue for the security control. During quieter periods, the ticket may also be inspected before entering the security control area.

All departing passengers will be required to prove their intention to travel. The tickets of transfer passengers arriving from outside the EU and connecting to another flight will also be checked.

The new practice is not expected to delay passengers from reaching the security control, provided they prepare for the situation by keeping tickets visible. Since information on the new EU regulation may not necessarily have reached everyone, passengers are requested to arrive at the airport in good time, at least during May.

Passengers are reminded that presenting a travel ticket at the security control does not replace checking-in. A valid travel ticket must be presented not only at the security control but also at the departure gate prior to boarding the aircraft and at any border control point.

The intention to travel will be checked at the security control, which in practice means permission to continue to the security-checked departure gate area. At the departure gate, airline officials will check that passengers have a travel ticket for the aircraft. Border guards, on the other hand, check that passengers have a valid travel ticket and passport.

 

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