Qatar security measures spell trouble for transfer passengers

Gavin Lipsith

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The emirate has refused to exempt duty-free purchases from new liquids security measures to be introduced on Friday

Passengers transferring through Doha International airport from June 1 will be unable to carry their duty-free purchases through rescreening as a result of new measures on liquids, aerosols and gels (LAGs) to be introduced in Qatar on June 1. The emirate has refused to exempt duty-free purchases from new rules limiting LAGs to 100ml containers, sealed in a plastic bag of up to one litre capacity.

Unlike many other countries, including Thailand and South Africa which also introduce their rules on Friday, Qatar will not accept duty-free purchases made at the point of departure, even if they are presented in sealed tamper-evident bags. The move will have a significant impact as Doha is a key transfer airport, with transfer passengers making up a big proportion of traffic.

Qatar Airways will notify passengers of the new rules at their point of boarding. The new rules will not affect point-to-point traffic to or from Doha, and duty-free sales at the airport will not be hit as the stores are airside, beyond security screening.