Aviation body seeks ideas on screening of flyers with prosthetics

NEWDELHI: Passengers with prosthetic limbs may soon be able to avoid the embarrassment of removing them for security checks at airports.

Following suggestions from a committee constituted by Bureau for Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) for alternate ways of checking, the civil aviation ministry has invited suggestions to prepare a standard operating procedure, or SOP, on how to frisk such passengers.

“During the screening of prosthetics, airport security officer may use visual check, explosive trace detector (ETD) and X-ray screening depending on the circumstances of each case. The passenger with prosthetics or braces / support appliances will inform the airline concerned and must be accompanied by an airline representative, preferably of the same gender as the passenger. The objective is to ensure there is no inconvenience to the passenger with prosthetic limbs, but without diluting the standards of security,” said a ministry official quoting the draft.

The committee has suggested that if X-Ray screening of the prosthetic limb is required, such passenger should be taken to a private screening point and made to sit comfortably for taking off his/her prosthetic limb.

“While dealing with prosthetic device and during removing and wearing clothes, privacy of the passenger should be maintained along with the proper log entry. If screening of the prosthetic limb is required, then the screening in the private screening area will be carried out by two officials, one to handle HHMD and pat-down and the other to inspect the prosthetics,

braces and support appliance,” the draft SOP says.

Disability rights activist had earlier asked the security agencies to follow the international security standard where they check such passengers ETD.