A new campaign is taking off at Aberdeen International Airport in an effort to tackle disruptive behaviour.
For many, the arrival at an airport marks the exciting start of a holiday.
Some choose to mark the occasion by pulling up a bar stool while they wait. However for a small minority, one too many beverages can lead to “undesirable” behaviour.
Now Aberdeen International Airport has teamed up with police to tackle such behaviour with a new initiative called Campus Watch.
Using police presence and a network of airport staff acting as the “eyes and ears”, the operation is designed to minimise incidents and to ensure all passengers have a pleasant experience.
Ensuring a ‘great time’ with no disruption
While the figures mark a rise of almost 500 since 2021, this was mainly due to a lull in travelling due to Covid.
Airport security manager William Wallace said the new initiative has been launched now in anticipation of another busy summer.
“A lot of people that come through the airport, they see their arrival at the airport as the start of their holiday,” he said.
“So Campus Watch is here to make sure all our passengers have a safe and memorable trip for all the right reasons.
“We just want to make sure that everyone who travels to the airport has a great time with no disruption because of the risk that it won’t just be that passenger that gets penalised – it’s the impact it can have on families around them as well.”
From April 2021 to March 2023, out of the 3.1 million passengers passing through the doors, there were only 48 disruptive call outs.
Despite this, Inspector Gary Tough, from border policing command, said a single call out is one too many.
Police might suggest drinking coffee instead of beer
He said: “We have very, very limited amounts of disorder or disruption but what I would say is that one is too many.
“What we’re looking to really do is a proactive engagement with the passengers as they arrive at the airport right through until their final departure.
“The idea of it is, we’re here to help. We’re the eyes and ears along with our partners here to ensure that everybody stays safe, keeps safe and undoubtedly that everybody behaves themselves.”
In the case of alcohol related incidents – a majority of the disruptive behaviour reported – officers might simply chat to a passenger earlier on and suggest drinking a coffee instead of a beer.
If the situation continues to escalate, the passenger might then be refused service across the airport outlets and receive a warning or further action.
However, very few incidents end up being reported as a criminal offence.
It is hoped this more proactive approach – along with staff training and support and a rapid text alert system sharing information among staff – will help calm situations before they become a problem.
Conversation