The Civil Aviation Authority has made plastic wrapping checked in luggage at all airports compulsory.

All check-in baggage of international and domestic passengers is to be wrapped with plastic sheets at the initial stage of scanning at search counters of the ASF, ANF and Customs, said a notification issued on Thursday.

The extra layer of protection over the baggage will prevent damage when handlers have to swiftly move bags on and off planes, CAA Joint Director of Public Relations Mujtaba Baig told SAMAA Digital.

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Baig said most people leave their bags unlocked and blame the airport management for theft when something goes missing.

The CAA plans to install more plastic wrapping machines at main airports so that people can avoid hassle and unnecessary waiting. Wrapping charges have also been reduced to Rs50 per bag at the Lahore and Islamabad airports. The authority said it will soon revise the rates at all airports.

However, at a time when the world is trying to cut plastic use, the move is not being seen as environmentally friendly.

Baig remarked that “the sheets used for wrapping are made of very thin plastic and would not cause that much harm to the environment”.

He said the authority is trying to meet the compliance level of international security standards. The authority, however, did not mention anything about increasing airport security.

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