“The most commonly confiscated hand baggage items include water bottles and hygiene product and cosmetics containers larger than 100 ml, which may not be taken into the cabin due to liquid-related restrictions. Sharp items and flammable substances are also classified as dangerous. Items confiscated from hand baggage also include valuables, such as rare lighters, expensive spirits or objects which have sentimental value,” says Helsinki Airport Vice President Heikki Koski from Finavia.
Finavia and Cotio begin testing a new digital service designed to allow passengers to reclaim valuable items confiscated from their hand baggage in a sensible, cost-effective manner.
The new service is related to security control development and Finavia’s objectives of improving the customer experience and offering world-class services to passengers.
“The common thread of service development at Finavia is to approach ideas with an open mind and act on proposals – whether they are submitted by passengers, employees or, as in this case, a start-up company. We process all the ideas and examine the prospects of implementing them from many angles, including safety, ethical operations and ecological values,” says Koski.
“The idea of a new online service came about when I had to hand over my Swiss Army knife, which I had forgotten in my hand baggage, to a security officer. I would have paid to have it delivered to me, but that kind of service was not available,” says Kimmo Collander, father of the idea and CEO at Cotio Ltd.
According to the new service option, the security officer provides the passenger with a receipt of the confiscated item. Using the code provided on the receipt, the passenger can order item delivery service at www.cotio.fi. The service fee depends on the nature of the item and the delivery method. The online service is available in English, Finnish, Swedish and Russian.
The return service will be tested until the end of 2016. The pilot project is intended to test process performance and to map put how useful the service is to passengers and whether the service is in sufficient demand. The service is intended for passengers who carry items of financial or sentimental value but which may not be included in hand baggage for aviation safety reasons.
The digital return service is an optional, additional service. Passengers may still return to check-in to have their baggage transferred to the cargo hold, take their baggage to their car or leave items with a person accompanying them or at the storage area. In Finland, passengers have long been able to retrieve items removed from their checked baggage.
You can use the Finavia online service to check which substances and items are permitted in the cargo hold or in hand baggage and which may not be taken on board at all.
