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By Humphrey Carter ALL national and international airline passengers travelling with a Spanish airline must present an identification document with a photograph which, in the case of British residents, means a passport, when checking in for a flight and when boarding their plane. In accordance with new Spanish security measures, all the main Spanish airlines enforced the new regulation yesterday. Civil Aviation bosses said that the new identification checks are part of the revised and approved National Security Plan and has been introduced so that airlines can check that the traveller's identity corresponds to that on the boarding pass. Until yesterday, passengers were only obliged to provide an identification document when checking-in and only those travelling to non-Schengen destinations were obliged to show their passport when boarding their plan. As of yesterday, all travellers will have to show their identification documents at least twice before boarding their plane. Passengers using the new automatic check-in facilities will only have to show their identification cards or passports when boarding the plane. Airline sources said yesterday that they do not envisage the new security checks slowing down the check-in procedure but are calling on all passengers to have their identification documents at hand at all times to reduce any delays. Sources at Palma's Son San Joan airport said yesterday that all the Spanish airlines had introduced the new checks and that there were no problems or complaints from passengers. “Most passengers carry their identification cards or passports when travelling, especially since the airport security has been stepped up world wide since the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington,” an airport source said yesterday.

Photos: M.A Cañellas


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