Airport Security Question?

Question

Please can someone in the know tell me how the big luggage (suitcases, etc, NOT hand luggage) is checked before putting on planes? Are they all somehow scanned or x-rayed? If not, it would still seem possible that a suicide bomber could smuggle a bomb into the plane's hold, and then have a co-conspirator remotely detonate it from the ground, using something like a mobile phone?

Alright - I'm not asking for sensitive security details!!! Just enough to put my mind at rest, as a concerned traveller.

THANKS to most of you who have answered this question as intended. I travel by air a lot; it gives some comfort to know that all possible is done to check, and that the big stuff gets the same degree of attention.

And to the idiot "angelo" who implied I was somehow up to something by asking several questions on airport security - Duuuuh... I asked 'cos I'm concerned, and it's IN THE NEWS, BIG TIME!

Answer 1

They x-ray the bags, and they do a test to check for explosives residue. If anything's suspicious, they open the bag and look through it. It's unlikely that something like a remote signal receiver would go unnoticed.

Answer 2

yes they are scanned in a huge machine which are located right next to the ticket counter. In milwaukee...the airport in which I am employed, The passengers actually take it to the security screening area rather than the airline taking it for them.

For the person who said to refrain from giving out this information, it is fine to give this information out. But I CANNOT tell you the procedures in checking the bags, the materials used, ect. I am TSA trained as a Private Charter Screener, I know the FAA rules and regulations like the back of my hand. Its ok, Dont freak out! Passengers have the right to know the information if there bags are searched or not.

In fact if your luggage is searched for any reason without you being there (checked luggage) TSA will leave you a letter in your luggage stating what they did, why they did at and who to call for questions.

Answer 3

The larger suitcases are put through the x-ray machine. I've seen it happen where the person taking the luggage thought the person handing it to him was questionable so they took him aside and opened his luggage right there to make sure it was safe. I think airport security is right on the job so I wouldn't worry.

Answer 4

Security is very very tight now. The luggage goes through X-Ray, checked for any levels of gunpowder or similar residue, anything that might look supsicious, they will open the suitcase to inspect. It's a hassle, but makes one feel a bit safer.

Answer 5

The scanners/x-ray machines that are used to scan hold baggage check for electronic detonators.

The scary thing is that there can be chemical detonators which will not be shown up as clearly but I am told that the security people have been trained to check for these.

Answer 6

Please I do hope someone does give you that answer cause it sure as hell scares the living daylight out of me big time, again with these checks how do we know who has what in their cases, we went to Cuba in April this year and we took absolutely all sorts of stuff with us for the people with very little themselves and nothing in our case was asked about or looked at, as far as we were concerned we had nothing illegal or otherwise in our cases but no one seemed to care if we had had, just goes to show you that security is very lax in this country and coming back from Cuba on an early morning touchdown there was no one to even check our passports, we had to wait 15 mins so they could get someone in place and at the declare or not declare points again not one person in sight and we all just trundled through will our goodies and extras, what is wrong with the security system in this country for goodness sake.

Answer 7

Yes all hold luggage is X-Rayed, chemically tested, and much of it is routinely opened and hand searched.

Answer 8

perplxed ... in response to your answer ...

We have the right to know what is happening to our personal belongins, and TSA, FAA, and other international airport security agencies make it very clear what they do. You can even find it on there websites (which this person should have done first ... look on the websites)

Answer 9

all baggage is x-rayed and checked and there are sniffer dogs for the safety of all passengers any suspicious luggage is not loaded

Answer 10

clever give more ideas how to blow up a plane on yahoo answers, i dont think that they are checking it.

y dont u email the bbc and find out as they would know