Humor is Ryanair’s marketing fuel. They’re the only airline that cracks jokes with their products

The two environmentalists had their brief moment of media fame, but O’Leary’s chilled response was nothing short of a masterclass in crisis communication. He ignored the protest against the low-cost carrier’s carbon footprint and insisted on his petition agenda. To make sure that he stays in charge of the narrative, he belittled the pie performance by casually licking cream off his fingers while declaring: “I love cream cakes, they’re my favorite.”

The real icing on the cake was delivered by Ryanair’s social media team. Their Twitter account, renowned for its unconventional communication style, shared a snapshot of their cream-coated boss and reported that passengers, thrilled with their new routes and “tasty low fares”, were celebrating with cake. Playing on the card of their budget-friendly prices, another tweet suggested that purchasing a pie was a waste of the protesters’ hard-earned dough when it could’ve bought them a ticket out of Belgium.

This wasn’t Ryanair’s first dance with humor as marketing fuel. They are the only airline that cracks jokes about the very thing they’re selling, even calling their windowless window seats – a waste of money. Their self-deprecating one-liner statuses consistently feed on the company’s disadvantages, which in turn makes them go viral.

One day they might downplay junk fees by trolling Donald Trump as having more charges than them. The next one, they could highlight their pricey name change fees by poking fun at Elon Musk’s X-Twitter rebranding. And then, they might spotlight oversized luggage charges by tweeting Loreen’s Eurovision performance setup.

Ryanair’s responses to legroom complaints, seat size questions, or free food inquiries regularly pack a comedic punch.

There doesn't have to be an intention for travel marketing to make you laugh. Check out these tourism campaign fails!

Smiles in the skies

There is a certain level of expectation for B2C communication standards, especially when delivering serious messages.

While most airlines try to maintain a professional demeanor in their social media presence, Ryanair’s strategy keeps customer service for DMs, while regularly dancing on the line of appropriate humor when it comes to the public field. Social media is a marketing tool, and a less serious approach definitely draws attention.

Humor has this ability to shake us up from not paying attention, and serious contexts prove this point the best. When we speak about airlines, there’s no more serious moment than a safety demonstration in the cabin. The procedure in which passengers are informed about the important features of the aircraft and things to do in case of emergency are standardized for a reason. But after flyers hear it for the umpteenth time, these safety briefings can blend into the background, become a sort of white noise, making their minds wander away.

However, every now and then, there emerges a flight attendant who shakes things up and breaks free from the script. One such legend in the history of in-flight entertainment was Michael McAdam, a veteran flight attendant for WestJet.

This multitalented Canadian (with expertise in acting, improvisation, and even comic book writing) had a remarkable steward career, giving his own twist to mundane safety announcements that usually make us fall asleep.

In an era when YouTube is flooded with videos of unruly passengers, cabin crew’s humor doesn’t just go viral. It also improves the atmosphere in the aircraft.

“Humor certainly did turn bad days into better days”, Michael tells me. “I once received an official commendation for turning an angry crowd  – our flight was three hours delayed – into a happy crowd by the time we landed.”

Educational hazard of in-flight entertainment

Flight attendants’ job can be exhausting, and in April 2023, Michael McAdam decided to retire his wings, after seventeen years of juggling turbulence and trolleys. During his career, he brought numerous smiles to a flying experience which can be stressful for many.

Even his fellow workers knew to resort to his improv comedy skills when nothing else worked. “Sometimes a crewmate would ask me to ‘step in’ if they had trouble with a difficult guest”, Michael reveals. Like in a magic trick, a flick of humor would make grumpy passengers disappear.

Back in the early 2000s, WestJet was the airline known for injecting humor into its announcements and safety demos. But when they decided to rebrand themselves as a serious business airline focused on the European market, they changed the uniforms as well as cabin crew “persona” for a “seamless experience”, Michael explains.

“Today, humor is discouraged for safety-related announcements, but attendants are allowed to use it during personal interactions with guests.”

In 2015, researchers Morteza Tehrani and Brett Molesworth conducted a study on the impact of humorous pre-flight safety briefings. It turned out they positively influence passengers’ moods, which could improve the performance in the event of an emergency. However, the study also showed that an entertaining briefing style had a trade-off. The funnier the presentation, the poorer the subjects recalled the key safety messages.

Michael McAdam never worried about whether his mood-lifting style affected the efficiency of his duties: “Quite the opposite. I saw that people actually paid attention to what I was doing, instead of reading or looking at their phones. It’s why I kept doing it all those years because people paid more attention to the safety demo.”

Safety meets satire – humor as a marketing tool that works

The topic of whether one should joke around while discussing matters that can literally mean a difference between life and death is controversial. Finding a delicate balance between entertainment and education is no easy feat.

However, the competitive space of social media is not a plane, and the audience is not just waiting for a take-off, with nothing else to do. To be able to deliver the message, one first needs to get users aboard. For achieving that coveted virality and a flurry of followers, humor is a fantastic tool.

Interestingly, this was proven exactly by the organizations that deal with the most serious topics of safety and security. They realized that to get their voices heard and truly connect with travelers, they needed to speak a language everyone could understand. And that language just happened to be humor.

Humorous tactics for safer travels

1. National Park Service – NPS, USA

Tourists have been misbehaving for years. The rise of unofficial accounts like the Facebook group Invasion of The Idiots or the Instagram account Tourons of Yellowstone (touron = tourist + moron) proved that sometimes it’s not enough to politely ask visitors not to approach a cliff, dip their fingers in volcanic hot springs, hug a cactus, take a selfie with a grizzly, or feed a moose.

With 1.2 million followers on X/Twitter, 1.8 million followers on Facebook, and 5.2 million followers on Instagram, the National Park Service is a US government agency that clearly knows how to reach its audience. If TikTok would be allowed to federal agencies, they’d probably have more than 4k fans there too (still an impressive base for zero posted content).

The organization that practically established a new slogan – “Don’t pet the fluffy cows” – uses clever captions, memes, infographics, and posters to teach us how (not) to engage with wildlife, as well as how to enjoy nature responsibly in general.

The person who devised the new social media strategy for the National Park Service in 2018 was Matthew Turner. He introduced hilarious content that just begged to be shared.

If you like visiting national parks, you sure don't love them as she does! Before the age of three, an American toddler Journey Castillo managed to visit all 63 national parks. Read an exclusive interview with a hiker with a pacifier!

Bison petting charts and bear menus

NPS’s advice can be as blunt as “To avoid crowds, visit areas that are less crowded”, or “Trails often look more flat on the map”. They can provide you with detailed bison petting charts, or sarcastically inform you what to do in the case of a bear encounter. “Pick up small children immediately, unless they’ve been acting up and you’re trying to send a message!” Or: “Hike in groups. Bears like to have options.”

This type of non-dry communication quickly proved successful in attracting more followers and producing better engagement. Even if it came from a serious government agency, users totally vibed with it. Some even picked up the style, such as rockinqltr who commented: “Do not push the Ranger’s buttons! All Rangers are voice-activated. Like Alexa.”

“The humor is often used to draw people in”, Matt Turner once explained. “But beyond the funny, there is usually a safety message, a deeper dive into park resources or policy, or a fun fact.”

I love their educational approach to the importance of drinking water:

“First rule of hydrate club: Stay hydrated.
Second rule of hydrate club: Talk about hydrate club.
Third rule of hydrate club: Just a minute, need a bathroom.”

2. Croatian Mountain Rescue Service – HGSS, Croatia

Croatia, a popular honeymoon destination and more, is a small European country with only 8 national parks (“only” – compared to USA’s 63). Croatia’s territory still gets a fair share of adventures and misadventures by tourists who need a little… Guidance. But there’s no dedicated government agency that would school these visitors in appropriate behavior, especially not one with a knack for humor.

However, one voluntary organization filled that slot. Hrvatska gorska služba spašavanja (HGSS), or Croatian Mountain Rescue Service, specializes in search and rescue operations in all sorts of hard-to-reach places, from the tops of mountains to the depths of caves and even the open sea. They’ve been doing this noble work for free since 1950, but their mission to prevent accidents got an irreplaceable platform in the age of social media.

Since 2012, they started focusing on Twitter as the most direct way to reach both citizens and the media. They quickly learned that a touch of black humor expands their reach. The masterminds of Christian Nikolić and Jadran Kapović delivered content that soon earned them accolades beyond their humanitarian work, such as awards for public communications.

Jadran Kapović himself explains it best: “Since we are not a typical service, our approach was in line with our character, a bit avant-garde. It was a breath of fresh air in terms of our laid-back, ironic, and sometimes sarcastic way of communicating.”

Tourists gone with the wind

How does that work in real life? HGSS might try to appeal to your compassion by asking: “During these chilly days, have you been in touch with your third-age relatives, especially those who live alone, and not on the topic of inheritance?”

Or they might appeal to your common sense, by posting a makeshift sign on Ugljan Island begging you not to hike in flip-flops.

In times when AI is being asked to recreate various world wonders, they generated their very own nightmare – an improperly dressed tourist in the mountains, complete with the caption “We asked artificial intelligence what non-intelligence looks like.”

Jadran sheds some light on this humor tightrope they walk: “Humor can often backfire or drift one’s attention away from the important message we incorporate in our posts. Humor is like bait, but the punchline is the ‘hook’ that makes the difference. Balancing the two is sometimes really hard.”

Their #deartourists series was especially inspired by Croatian visitors who underestimate the power of the ‘bura’ wind and find themselves floating away from the coast on inflatable birds. HGSS will advise you to bring your ID (“So that Italian coast guard do not mistake you for refugees”), urge you to hang on tight to your pink flamingo (“Makes it easier for us to find you”), or, as a last resort, suggest you tweet them from the afterlife (complete with a photo of a tourist in a coffin-shaped floaty and the message “May the dolphins be with you”).

Croatian Mountain Rescue Service, the organization that tries to “keep the number of you entering and exiting Croatia proportional”, definitely knows how to get its message across. They’re talking to tourists in a way that the Croatian Tourist Board never would, but they still include the country’s official slogan: “You are beautiful even without the dangerous cliff edge selfies. Take care of yourselves & let’s keep Croatia full of life.”

3. Transportation Security Administration – TSA, USA

Before you arrive from the USA to Croatia, you’ll have to pass through airport security checks, and the federal agency in charge of travel security doesn’t want to delay your journey.

To keep travelers informed, the Transportation Security Administration, born in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, uses Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook as reach-out channels.

Passing through airport security is already stressful in itself, so the lighthearted approach TSA’s screener Bob Burns introduced in 2013, managed to attract over 1 million intrigued followers.

You could see unusual checkpoint discoveries such as Freddy Krueger’s razor glove, but also learn that “while worn out fedoras and tattered green and red sweaters are discouraged in the fashion world, they are permitted at TSA checkpoints”.

“There’s a cheekiness to it, but I also try to educate and prove travel tips”, Blogger Bob explained his strategy once.

After the original author passed away, the six-member team led by social media manager Janis Burl (2020-2022) left their own mark with posts packed with wordplay and puns. She reveals that it would take them four hours of teamwork for each post!

Among numerous confiscated weapons, they reported about a passenger trying to travel with a bazooka. “It’s not rocket science”, TSA explained, promising to fire back answers to all questions shot at them.

On packing weapons, from chili beans to lightsabers

Today, TSA will teach you why peanut butter is a liquid and a cat is not. They’ll tell you that fireworks on the plane are not allowed, but “what about your canned chili beans?”.

As for forgetful travelers who typically act surprised when faced with weapons found in their luggage, they advise: “Always start with an empty travel bag. That way you don’t “accidentally” leave a knife, gun, cattle prod, brass knuckles, baton, hammer, or baseball bat in your carry-on.”

Even TSA’s official website has caught onto the relaxed communication vibe. In the list of things you can(not) bring to the plane, they toss in fantasy weapons as a legitimate example: “Sadly, the technology doesn’t currently exist to create a real lightsaber. However, you can pack a toy lightsaber in your carry-on or checked bag. May the force be with you.”

“The world doesn’t want to talk to the Government of my parents and their parents”, Janis Burl said in A Bit of Optimism podcast. “The world wants to talk to people and they want to know that you are human. And that was the aspect I was trying to bring out, ‘let me talk to you the way you are talking to me’.”

The benefits of humor in safety marketing

Incorporating humor even in the most serious of communications can be a super effective strategy. Several reasons make this marketing choice beneficial, even when we communicate topics of safety and security.

1. Attracting attention

Humorous content is a quick and effective way to grab people’s attention. In a world inundated with serious and often grim messages about safety and security, humor is a neon sign. It can make a message stand out, increasing the likelihood that people will notice and engage with the message.

2. Fact retention

While Tehrani-Molesworth research might disagree, the practitioners in the field claim that humor, when done right, can make important messages more memorable. Jokes and funny anecdotes can ease nervousness, disarm tension and anxiety, and help the targeted audience process, accept, and remember essential safety instructions.

PRO TIP: If you’re nervous about flying, try bringing along some weighted stuffed animals. They’re like fluffy anchors for your anxiety!

3. Universal appeal

Safety and security messages can sometimes feel impersonal or bureaucratic. Well-executed humor can humanize even the most complex message, and make it transcend cultural and language barriers. It can be digested and appreciated by a wide range of people, making it an effective tool for reaching diverse audiences.

4. Reduced resistance

Services that use humor can engage the audience and deliver critical information in a way that doesn’t feel too preachy or fear-inducing. As such, humor can lower resistance and, by making the message more relatable and less intimidating, encourage better compliance with safety guidelines.

5. Emotional connection

When people laugh, they experience positive emotions. Humor can foster an emotional connection between the audience and the message they receive, but also boost the positive brand image and trust in the organization behind the message.

6. Viral potential

Humorous content is the real king of the social media platforms. People can’t resist sharing and engaging with content that makes them laugh, which can significantly boost the organic reach of safety or security messages.

Humor as a serious safety marketing tool – conclusion

Travel experience, with its always new rules and regulations, can easily become a source of stress. All actors in the chain, from airlines and airports to organizations that manage destinations, can ease the tension with humor and make travelers swallow even those hard pills that they haven’t even considered consuming.

I’m not suggesting we need an army of comedians throwing dad jokes in a desperate attempt to make everyone laugh. As we have seen in examples, sometimes all it takes is just giving bureaucratic jargon a makeover – translating it into something more relatable. Whether it’s referencing pop culture, ditching the legal lingo, or simply not taking oneself too seriously, humor has the power to turn monologues into dialogues.

Humor takes raw information and makes it fun to absorbMichael McAdam

Jadran Kapović, who brought two PR professionals’ awards to Croatian Mountain Rescue Service, explains that the impact of their social media can be measured by the fact that, despite the rise of adventurous tourism, they’ve managed to stabilize the number of rescue missions. “Our educational posts, seasoned with a bit of irony, were great recipes to spread awareness and safety tips”, he says.

Of course, humor is subjective, and what might be hilarious to some may not resonate with others. It’s crucial to strike the right balance when using humor on serious topics. Offensive humor can backfire, causing harm to the brand or message. That’s why the task is best left to the professionals who can consider the target audience, cultural nuances, and the specific context when using humor in safety and security marketing.

The viral flight attendant Michael McAdam, who turned safety briefings into stand-up routines in the skies, summed it up nicely for Pipeaway: “I believe humor is a connection between people. It takes raw information and makes it fun to absorb, more interesting, and forges a connection between the speaker and the listener.”

After all, the word ‘humor’ has its roots in the Latin expression for ‘fluid’. Back then, a person’s health was measured by the balance of bodily fluids. Similarly, today, when humor is mostly connected to the world of amusement, it can be seen as an essential force that balances communication and makes it flow. It can improve the health of our social being.

What do you think about humor as a safety marketing tool?
Share your thoughts in the comments, and pin this article for later!

The post Humor to the Rescue: Can Jokes Be a Serious Safety Marketing Tool? appeared first on Pipeaway.

As my last week’s trip from Europe to Asia reminded me, airport rules on shoes vary. The overall approach to passengers who need to go through this procedure is also very different. Zagreb and Singapore are miles apart, not just geographically.

Advancements in biometric technology could change how we experience security checks and other parts of the airport process. Read more about the newest aviation trends!

Welcome to Franjo Tuđman Airport

In March 2017, Croats opened the new passenger terminal at Zagreb Airport. The airport is now bearing the name of Franjo Tuđman Airport, the first Croatian president.

He was a controversial historical figure who led the movement for the independence of Croatia in the 1990s. On the other side, he also left the heritage that still stirs up discussions about the destroyed economy, human rights and media freedoms, corruption, and war crimes. Remembered as a grumpy man with tightened lips, who was maundering a lot about internal and external enemies, even on exactly this airport, Tuđman was a very particular political figure.

Croatian politics is still trying to infuse his personality cult by erecting low-quality monuments. At the same time, younger generations are purchasing one-way tickets more than ever. Franjo Tuđman Airport’s departure gates are very busy.

The brand of Zagreb Airport has recently been involved in a number of Facebook frauds, together with other world airports. Learn everything you should know about lost luggage scams, and how to protect yourself!

Nomen est omen

“Take off your shoes”, says the security officer resolutely, while I imagine how a smile would fit her face nicely.

In the last two years of using the new terminal of Zagreb Airport, I’ve never heard ‘hello’, ‘thank you’, or ‘please’ at this airport security check. You know, all those words they teach you in kindergarten. One can hear only orders as if we are recruits in the military camp and not passengers at the airport.

“Should I put my shoes in this same bin?”, I ask in disbelief. For two years, I was never offered a dedicated bin for shoes at Zagreb Airport, never. And I did complain every time. Officers would usually refer me to their superiors. Nobody liked the idea of reporting the customer’s feedback. Praise the irresponsibility! I did file the complaint more than once. And nothing ever happened.

And then she surprises me! She brings over a special plastic security bin with a printed image of the shoes on it. Her eyes are rolling and her grumpiness that fits well with the airport name increases. She handles it to me with no words. Oh, so now there ARE special bins for shoes? No answer. She refuses to talk to customers who expect her to do her job.

She doesn’t offer me those blue disposable slip-on feet covers. I don’t feel welcome enough to ask anymore. I walk barefoot through the metal detector.

To educate passengers on what they can and what they cannot bring into the plane, the American TSA is widely using humor in their social media. Check out how jokes can be a serious marketing tool!

Health hazards of the airport security checking

In the winter of 2016, researchers from Finland’s National Institute for Health and Welfare and the University of Nottingham swabbed a variety of frequently touched surfaces at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. The study published in BMC Infectious Diseases suggested that airport security bins might be the germiest thing one can come in contact with at an airport! Plastic is a non-porous material, so viruses can survive longer on such surfaces. Airport screening bins turned out to be the hotspot for respiratory infections such as rhinovirus (common cold) and influenza A!

It is more dangerous to touch the airport security bin than the airport toilet lid!

While none of the toilet surfaces were affected, half of the examined bins were carrying these dangerous viruses! When we talk about these exact viruses, it is more dangerous to touch the airport security bin than the toilet lid! So all those times when you were thinking about how to exit the restroom without touching the door handle, your hygiene worries possibly missed the target!

The study concluded that the airports could serve as potential risk zones for pandemic threats. After the SARS outbreak in 2002 and the Ebola epidemic in 2014, we should not ignore this warning.

Would you rub your shoe over your face?

I didn’t know about this study when, in late 2017, Zagreb Airport security check officials asked me to remove my shoes. When I requested the special box, they didn’t have any and suggested I dump them in the standard plastic bin. Yes, the same container where you put your mobile phone, your food, your water bottle!

It was wintertime, and my shoes were dirty. They were so dirty that, in pure shock, I asked the passenger next to me: “Why waste time? Do you want me to rub my shoes directly on your coat?”

Every time they ask you to put your shoes in the same bin as everything else, they are asking you to lie face down on the floor! Roll your apple on the ground! Eat your snacks without washing your hands! Rub your mobile phone against someone’s soles! Share your water bottle with a total stranger! If you are obediently putting your shoes in the regular bin, would you comply with all of this too?

When I complained to the officers, they said it is not their responsibility. They manually operate these bins on a daily basis! I couldn’t understand that they had no interest in having higher hygiene standards in their working environment. Why was it me who had to be concerned about it and write to their superiors?

Is Zagreb Airport changing its shoes-off policy?

Zagreb Airport’s Customer experience management team promised to process my feedback quickly, in 15 days at the latest. And then, three weeks later (of course!), I did receive an answer:

“For the needs of security check of passengers and carry-on luggage, Zagreb International Airport has introduced special bins for clothing and special bins for footwear that are clearly marked. In the case of shoe removal, we have secured special PVC foot covers so that passing the security check would be more pleasant. Cleanness and abiding by sanitary standards were included in our procedures. We have trained all agents who operate the security check of passengers and luggage to put all footwear in the adequate security check bins.”

I would’ve been extremely proud of myself if my complaint motivated Zagreb Airport to improve its services in December 2017. Sadly, my experiences with their security check in the past year, as well as this last experience in January 2019, showed that they do not always provide a dedicated shoe bin. Even when they do, a customer has to request it, with an inappropriate response by the personnel.

Singapore Airport is the best for a reason

My transfer at Changi Airport in Singapore, often rated as the best in the world, shows how airport security checks can be done differently.

First of all, airport security staff are not just doing a technical job! They are communicating with people, and should be reassuring them about the safety of the experience they are about to embark on! Welcoming with a smile and clear instructions presented in a friendly way, and referring to customers with “sir” or “madam”, is already an improvement. At Zagreb Airport, sentences were simple orders (“Belt!”, “Laptop!”, “Liquids!”).

Do you want to stay safe when flying? Read here which seat in the plane you should select!

When I leave my stuff for screening at Singapore Airport, they give me a plastic plate with a number corresponding to all the bins with my belongings. Just like in a clothes store, I can get the bins with my stuff back only when I present the plastic plate. This system against any accidental confusion with the containers or even stealing leaves your mind at peace. Even if they detain you by additional pat-down screening, you do not need to worry! No more panicking that someone took your iPhone!

After my shoes go through the screening (in the special box, of course), I put them back on. It takes some time, and the security officer shows extremely kind attention by asking if I need help with anything. His smile reassures me that he is not rushing me, but only supporting me in the security check process.

Security screening paper tissues in Berlin

I know that the quality of dealing with customers at world airports varies. From Singapore’s assisting friendliness to Bucharest’s “go find your own plastic bin” policy, the service at the airport screening shows the dedication of the airport towards its customers. The truth is that customers can feel thankful and protected even when the searches are rigorous if they employ reason and user-friendly communication about the procedure.

When I traveled through Berlin Airport, the airport security officer asked me to take the paper tissue out of my pocket for screening. “Put it in the box”, the officer requested. “I don’t want to put it in the box”, I answered. The fact that he requested to distribute my germs with other users of the same bin, as well as the fact that he thought I would use that very paper tissue after it touched all other people’s belongings, shocked me.

I don’t know if my experiences sound to you as hypochondriacal. However, studies have been clear that public health is in jeopardy when we talk about airport security checks.

Why do we screen the shoes at airports?

Shoes are screened at airport security check if there is a suspicion of contraband or concealing explosive in the shoes. British terrorist Richard Reid, also known as the shoe bomber, attempted to detonate explosives hidden inside his sneakers on an American Airlines flight from Paris, France, to Miami, Florida. Luckily, he was stopped by the passengers and the crew. This happened on December 22, 2001, just three months after the September 11 attack on World Trade Center. From then on, TSA started randomly screening passengers’ shoes. The whole industry of airport friendly shoes was started, but those do not guarantee that the airport will not ask you to remove your shoes.

Is a dirty floor not a security hazard?

Did you ever see the cleaners at the airport security check area? Yes, that area where some passengers need to take their shoes off and then walk barefoot where others walk in shoes! Do you think they clean this zone once a day? More often? You can see the cleaners going through the terminal swiping the floors. However, security measures and often crowding at the screening area do not allow them to be as thorough as they should be at one of the most hazardous places at the airport. If they even get there during operational hours!

If viruses could spread through the airport security check, couldn’t we call that a potential terrorist threat?

The fact is that various people are using airports. We cannot possibly know where their shoes have been. For instance, experts warned that if someone has been on a farm and then walked through the airport, the fecal matter would contaminate the floor.

Passengers who didn’t wear socks or those who had to take them off already complained about getting fungus at the airport.

People with diabetes are in special danger! As they lose protective feelings in their legs, they should be very careful not to step on something when walking barefoot.

And then, if we put shoes in the same bins as everything else, what kind of security are we talking about?

It is actually quite paradoxical that the airport area reserved for security might be the one that has a weak spot. If diseases could indeed easily spread through airport security bins, wouldn’t the security personnel’s job be to prevent possible terrorist attacks at this vulnerable part of our protective system?

Airlines started to crowd their planes more and more, having us fight for personal space. Is it worth paying for extra legroom seats?

Airport security screening and shoes – the solution

The solution is simple. Security screening trays should be frequently disinfected. Passengers touching them should use hand sanitizer or wash their hands after use. Until screening of the shoes gets improved so that we don’t have to take them off when traveling, security officers should be treating those shoes not just as a potential threat for a metal detector, but also as a threat to public health.

As for Zagreb Airport (or any other, if it matters), it shouldn’t invest energy in communicating empty phrases with passengers to control possible negative PR but indeed train and educate its staff. Printing an A4 paper and gluing it to some dedicated bins is a minimal cost compared to the potential health threats they are exposing their passengers to.

Do you have any particular experiences at the airport security check? Please share them in the comments!

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The post Shoes at Airport Security Checking: Zagreb and Singapore, Miles Apart appeared first on Pipeaway.