European Court declared illegal the existence of a secret list of items that are forbidden to bring onboard the aircraft.

On the existence of such an instrument, it became known during the consideration of a claim of Austrian tennis player amateur Gottfried Heinrich.

In 2005 Heinrich was not allowed in the aircraft on which he was to fly to the competition in tennis.

He passed all the usual check at the Vienna airport, but before boarding the aircraft the airline staff asked him to leave the tennis racket, which he took with him to the plane as hand luggage.

They told him that the rackets are a potential danger, because they can be used as a weapon in the hands of terrorists.

Heinrich did not agree to leave them, and it was not allowed to fly.

angry tennis player filed a claim for compensation. In the course of the case and it was revealed the existence of a secret list of the European Commission, which is forbidden to carry in hand luggage.

Vicious circle

As it became known, this list is kept secret and not published for reasons of security. “Enchanted” circle is closed.

Now, the Court recognized that such a secret list – illegal. The judges decided that the list of prohibited items that have never been published, can not be grounds for a ban of them, because passengers have no way of knowing what it is imposed taboo.

Nevertheless, the ban on carrying aboard some of the other substances and objects, in particular, liquids and sharp objects, which warned passengers always, remains in force.