‘We deserve better’: Lisa Batiashvili calls for fair treatment of musical instruments at UK airport security

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Violinist Lisa Batiashvili has urged UK airports to overhaul the way security staff screen musical instruments, after highlighting a series of procedures she describes as ’stressful, unhygienic and completely inappropriate’ for high‑value stringed instruments.

According to Batiashvili, several UK airports operating under ’low‑budget constraints’ do not provide dedicated screening equipment for musical instruments. As a result, musicians travelling with violins or other fragile instruments are reportedly required to follow a process that exposes delicate items to potential damage.

Posting on social media, Batiashvili outlined the current practice, where musicians are instructed to remove their instrument from its case and protective cloth, take out all bows by hand, and watch as security officers empty the entire contents of their case.

Accessories such as strings, rosin and sheet music are then placed into the same plastic trays used for shoes and general luggage. The instruments themselves are scanned with standard detectors before musicians are permitted to repack their equipment.

Batiashvili says the lack of specialised handling not only creates unnecessary risk for expensive instruments but also significantly prolongs the screening process for travelling artists.

’It’s completely inappropriate for fragile, high‑value instruments,’ she said, calling on UK musicians to unite in demanding change.

She is urging the launch of a petition calling for three key reforms:

• Proper, dedicated screening equipment for musical instruments

• Clear and respectful procedures that reflect the needs of professional musicians

• Improved service standards for both UK‑based and international artists

’We deserve better,’ Batiashvili said, warning colleagues to think twice before travelling through UK airports with valuable instruments under the current system.