Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in the Guangdong province in Southeast China has just introduced female only security lines. The lines are said to reduce time in the line up to 15%. They are marked in pink and are designed to help women get through security a bit faster, as well as feeling more comfortable by being scanned by other women.
The lanes are clearly marked in Chinese and English that they are women’s lanes and are designed to cut queue times in general. “Women generally need more time to get through the airport; therefore opening such security lines for them will certainly help the airport to operate more smoothly,” states He Ying, an official from the All China Women’s Federation.
As mentioned previously, women manage these lines and children of both genders are allowed to join their mothers. Many female passengers who have said they like the option when they don’t want to be checked by male security guards have welcomed the designated lanes. They have also indicated the service is very good.
Other airports have created women only lanes such as Beijing International Airport and others at major metropolises, Shenzhen, Kunming and Wuhan. Despite a bit of a stink about the lanes, a spokesperson has defended them saying that the extra lanes, like having more toilets that support the care of women, is by no means a form of discrimination.
There is a similar male only line at Shanghai, Chengdu, and Tianjin that have also shown to have better efficiency, increasing speed by 10-15%.
With the increased efficiency of having a women only line, do Brits think busy airports like Heathrow could benefit from such a change?
