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"We only have one X-ray machine!" - or, how Farnborough failed to please a group of VIP guests

You can call it a "resounding vote of confidence" if you like, but the words and phrases from the people in the long, long queue to get into the first (trade-only) day of Farnborough Airshow today sounded more like deeply pissed-off punters. Why couldn't they get in?

They had tickets. They had receipts showing they'd spent a fortune on exhibit booths, and an even bigger fortune on staffing costs. They had appointments inside. And all they could see was the queue.

Ah, yes... the queue. The queue was spectacular. And this wasn't the first rush-hour crush. The show opened at 9.30, but our picture was taken  at 11 AM by a photographer - fed up after 20 minutes spent patiently waiting in the crowd. And the picture of that crowd waiting for entrance, shows another half hour's worth of people queueing. In the sun.

"I thought I'd get here later, after the rush," moaned one over-heated executive. "Imagine what it was like earlier!" Another exhibitor - describing herself furiously as both claustrophobic and prone to fainting spells - made it clear she would be Having Words with the management.

The disorganisation was hard to credit. There were eight scanners to check humans for metal objects, and only one X-ray machine, explained an over-worked security official. "Why don't you get another X-ray machine?" came the cry from the crowd...

The official word was that there were "a record number of delegations" to this year's show, so the security staff really can't claim that they didn't expect a crowd.

And the weather forecast two days ago was warning of heatwave dangers. The queue was simply not moving, and normally reserved exhibitors and delegates were not just starting to sweat, but starting to talk to each other. That's a really bad sign...

For the public event which starts Thursday, let's hope they can find someone who sells or leases more X-ray machines, because with Tony Blair due to arrive then, security will presumably be stepped up; and the crowds of families will be hugely bigger than the well-behaved executives for today's invitation only and pre-registered crowd.

Tags: Farnborough Airshow, airport security