Traveling by plane is exciting in itself, and the pre-flight procedures make you tremble even more, becoming more complicated every year. For the safety of passengers, more and more new requirements are being introduced, and even the most avid tourists risk getting stuck in the control zone due to the fact that something from the updated list of prohibited items has entered their hand luggage.
For example, in the summer of 2017, the US Transportation Security Administration approved new rules regarding the carriage electronic devices larger than a mobile phone (including tablets and laptops). Now they need to be placed in a separate tray for scanning in an X-ray machine: and all because of terrorists who manage to hide explosives in computers.
It is very unpleasant, while rushing to board a flight, to undergo additional checks and, even more so, to be deprived of the necessary things if the airport ground services staff did not like something among them.
It’s clear that you don’t have time to study the long lists of items prohibited from being carried on board, so what can you do to quickly and easily pass through the control zone?
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Universal advice: dress appropriately. Avoid belts and layers of clothing, minimize jewelry, and empty inside pockets. In general, try to take as few things as possible with you into the cabin in order to negate the risk of bringing something unacceptable.
To help you get through airport security like clockwork, we've prepared a list of items you should check in or not take on your flight, and some practical tips.
- Lighter: one is enough, the extra ones will probably be taken away. And this one, the only one, cannot be taken out on the plane.
- Place cell phones and other electronics in a separate tray. Do not overwhelm them with things, so as not to arouse suspicion and, accordingly, the desire to closely inspect your gadgets.
- Syringes. They will only be allowed in along with injection medications, if you have also declared them and justified the need to bring them with you.
- Cast iron cookware, unlike light pots and pans, must be checked in as checked baggage.
- Mixers and blenders: only without knives. All sharp objects must be handed over.
- Liquids: their permitted volume is usually no more than a small tube. It’s better not to carry pasta and cream in hand luggage.
- Books and magazines. It is not forbidden to take them with you, but it is better to take the publications out of your bag so that they can be easily presented to an officer who wants to make sure that the contents are acceptable.
- Water pistols and foam swords, as well as any children's toys and imitation weapons are prohibited. Explanations are unnecessary here.
- A magic ball for fortune telling will not be allowed in hand luggage. Probably so that there won’t be a line of people waiting to tell your fortune.
- Ice cream. This is, of course, a joke, but they really won’t let you in with him.
For the safety of passengers during flights, all airports have security controls, which include not only document verification, but also other procedures. Given that they all take a long time, passengers are advised to arrive at the airport in advance. It’s better - 2-3 hours before the departure time indicated on the ticket if the flight is international, and at least an hour and a half before for a domestic flight.
What do you need to remember about passenger control before a flight, and how to go through it?
Pre-flight security control and screening of passengers upon check-in
First, you will (like everyone) check in for your flight. You receive your boarding pass indicating the time and date, as well as the number of the desired flight and your seat on the plane.
It is not difficult to find the counter where check-in takes place - its number is indicated on a special board in the departure hall.
- Another way to register is directly from home online, but one day before your departure. As for the seat on the plane, you choose it yourself and then print out the ticket. With such a pass, you do not need to look for the check-in counter if you are flying without luggage.
- There is also mobile registration (note - for iPhones and Androids). All you have to do is go to the company’s website from your phone and enter the required ticket number. Next, the system will offer you a choice of seat, and a message with a code will be sent to your phone, which will need to be applied to a special reading device in the registration hall. You cannot use mobile check-in in 3 cases: if you are traveling with children under 2 years old; if accompanying services are required (children, people with disabilities); and if you are flying with pets.
- You can also get a coupon at the self-service terminal (you will find them at the airport).
Please remember that you will not be able to access the boarding gate without a paper ticket.
Baggage check-in - how does it happen?
Baggage check-in is also carried out at the check-in desk.
It is important to know: If you are flying with different airlines in transit, and you have different tickets in your hands, then in any case you will have to check in again - that is, already at intermediate points.
Speaking of luggage, it is worth noting that it will only be checked in at the final destination of the trip.
What can you take with you on the plane?
You will not be able to take a suitcase with you on a flight as your “carry-on luggage” - there are restrictions for such things:
- No more than 15 kg of things – for business class.
- No more than 10 kg of things – for economy class.
- Acceptable sizes: no more than 115 cm, that is, no more than 55 cm x 40 cm x 20 cm.
Low-cost airlines have other requirements; you can find out about them on the carriers’ websites.
What should you not take on a plane?
It is prohibited to carry on board in hand luggage...
- Various sharp and cutting objects, including nail scissors.
- Substances from the group of explosive, radioactive and/or flammable, as well as toxic and poisonous.
- Any liquids with a volume over 100 ml.
- Magnetic objects/materials.
- Weapons (permission required!) and impact objects (note: bats, etc.).
- Compressed/liquefied gases, including cans and lighters (note - except for the 1st small lighter).
Additionally (that is, above the norm), a passenger can take into the cabin, in addition to hand luggage:
- Laptop and mobile/phone.
- Book and documents.
- Camera or camera.
- Flowers (1 bouquet).
- A baby's portable cradle, as well as diapers and special food for the baby.
- Umbrella and cane.
- Necessary outerwear.
- A shopping bag from Duty Free.
- As well as crutches or other object necessary for the movement of a person with limited mobility (stretcher or wheelchair).
These items do not need to be registered or presented for weighing.
What can be carried in the cargo compartment - rules and regulations
- About 20 kg of things – for economy class.
- About 30 kg of things – for business class.
- Every 1 kg above the norm will cost the passenger about 3 euros (each company has its own tariffs). It is recommended to pay online - it will be cheaper.
- Limit for exceeding the norm of carried items for economy class: maximum 32 kg and no more than 203 cm (in triple dimension).
- Limit for exceeding the baggage allowance for business class: maximum 50 kg and no more than 203 cm (in triple dimension).
For the safety of your belongings, in case there are fragile items in your suitcases, you can ask during check-in to additionally stick the appropriate label on your suitcase. "Fragile" sticker.
If you want to take fragile items into the cabin and their weight exceeds the allowance for hand luggage, you will have to buy another seat in the cabin.
If you exceed the weight by more than 75 kg, you will need purchase of 2 or more seats in the cabin. Of course, no discounts.
Passenger screening - how is it done?
Security control includes, first of all, the presentation of documents. You are presenting...
- Passport.
- Your boarding pass.
- And, of course, a ticket.
The inspection procedure includes:
Customs control at the airport - who needs to fill out a customs declaration when flying abroad?
To clear customs, a passenger needs certain documents:
- International passport.
- Having permission to enter a specific country.
- All certificates about your health status, if needed.
- And so on.
The validity of the passport at the time of departure must not be less than six months.
The task of customs control is, first of all, to check transported items. Therefore, in accordance with the nature of the latter, the passenger passes through the green or red corridor.
What are their differences?
- 95% of passengers go through the green corridor. These are passengers who do not have antiques, various weapons, expensive jewelry or large sums of money with them. In short, those who do not need to fill out declarations go to the green corridor.
- For everyone else - red corridor.
What can you bring without declaring:
- Cash less than US$10,000.
- Up to 3 liters of alcohol.
- Maximum 2 cartons of cigarettes.
- Personal items worth no more than 2000 US dollars.
What is subject to declaration:
- Any currency that, when converted into dollars, will be more than 10,000 US/dollars.
- Any jewelry, if the total value is above 25,000 US/dollars.
- All materials and documents are classified as classified.
- All securities.
- Any representatives of flora and fauna that are noted in the Red Book.
- Prohibited personal items: medicines (permit required), weapons (permit required), etc.
Important: the list of prohibited items and the number of permitted items depends directly on the country of entry!
For example, in the USA you cannot bring more than 1 liter of alcohol or even sausage sandwiches, and you cannot even bring analgin to Asian countries. Therefore, be careful and study in advance the features of customs control of the country you are going to.
As for medications that are vitally necessary for the passenger, you should take a doctor’s prescription and a medical card in advance for them, which contains a doctor’s note about their need.
The following are subject to mandatory declaration upon departure from the Russian Federation:
- Ammunition and weapons.
- Items that may be of cultural value.
- Any fish or seafood, if their total weight is more than 5 kg.
- Sturgeon caviar is a must. The permissible volume allowed for transportation without duty is a maximum of 250 g (1 jar).
- State awards of the Russian Federation.
- And explosives.
Mobile phone When passing control, it is, of course, turned off by the passenger.
Form for filling out the declaration It is recommended to take it in advance from an airport employee. It must be filled out exclusively in printed font and always in 2 copies. You should not throw away the form: upon return you will have to present it to airport staff.
Important: If prohibited or undeclared items are found, the passenger will not be allowed to fly!
Passport control of passengers - what documents must be presented?
To pass this stage of the pre-flight check, you will need to prepare all the documents that the employees may require.
Your data will be entered into the database and, in the absence of a travel ban, you will be able to proceed further to the security check, and from there to the free zone for boarding.
- Russian passport – for domestic flights.
- Foreign passport - for international.
- International passport (valid) + migration card + visa – for foreigners.
- Birth certificate of a child under 13 years old - if you are flying with a child. And consent to his flight if he flies on his own (from his dad and mom, or from one of them, if only one parent is flying).
When leaving the country, the passenger is required to check the legality of his stay in the Russian Federation, and the right to enter another country is not subject to control; this responsibility lies entirely with the air carrier (documents confirming the right to enter a specific country can be checked during boarding/check-in ).
Important:
If you are asked questions while going through passport control, do not be nervous, do not make stupid jokes and speak clearly to the point.
The site site thanks you for your attention to the article! We will be very pleased if you share your feedback and tips in the comments below.
Searching hand luggage at the entrance to the metro no longer surprises anyone today. Refusal to undergo inspection only means a change in your mode of transport. The times when passengers passing by, unwittingly, could get acquainted with the contents of your trunks, are already gone. Now, each station has inspection areas, behind which, at many stations, X-ray installations are installed to inspect luggage and goods. In the future, it is planned to install X-ray equipment at each station.
X-ray introscopes are widely used in world practice to ensure the safety of passenger transportation. They have been used at the Minsk airport for a long time, and have now come to the metro. In a matter of seconds, it becomes clear whether the luggage contains items that pose a danger. During the inspection, the passenger can only step aside and calmly watch the picture on the monitor screen.
But in post-Chernobyl Belarus, everything that relates to sources of ionizing radiation causes us concern and raises many questions. Can things and clothing become radioactive during the inspection process? Will x-rays hurt? electronic device- telephone, camera, discs with recorded information, etc.? Is it possible to eat a sandwich that has passed inspection without risking your health?
Let's find out what the official documents say. X-ray equipment for inspection of luggage and goods is approved for use, and its operation is regulated by hygienic standards Sanitary rules and regulations 2.6.1.8-3-2002 “Hygienic requirements for the production, operation and control of X-ray installations for inspection of luggage and goods”, approved by the Resolution of the Main State Doctor of the Republic of Belarus dated 04/08/2002 No. 8. This document sets out the requirements for ensuring radiation safety of personnel and the population, requirements for the implementation of state sanitary supervision. Before starting work, the organization must undergo the state sanitary and hygienic examination procedure and obtain a sanitary passport - official permission to conduct an X-ray inspection. This determines our radiation safety.
Now about what happens to our things. By its nature, X-ray radiation is an electromagnetic wave of a certain length and energy. It is produced by electronic processes when fed to an X-ray tube high voltage and disappears after the tension is removed. The energy of X-ray radiation is not enough to change the structure of a substance and create induced activity in it. As a rule, the radiation dose to luggage does not exceed 0.1 milliGy. Therefore, things and clothes remain unchanged after scanning and do not become radioactive. According to experts, specifications settings are selected in such a way as not to damage electronic devices.
How does X-ray radiation interact with food? To this day, this issue remains a subject of controversy among scientists. According to data published by WHO in 1999, exposure to X-rays in food is considered safe enough to allow the use of X-ray machines at various stages of the food production process. X-ray inspection allows you to identify foreign inclusions in products, such as stone, plastic and others. X-ray radiation is used to disinfect food - it destroys mold, most bacteria, insects, and other pests. Opponents of X-ray technology in the food industry believe that irradiation reduces the nutritional properties of foods and may have effects as yet unknown to us. No matter how you personally feel about this issue, products that have passed through an X-ray inspection system are just as good and as safe as they were before the scan.
It is worth immediately noting that the territory of some large international airports is divided into terminals, and your ticket should indicate which terminal you need to enter in order to go through all further security checks.
In many airports around the world, there is a metal detector in front of the entrance to the building itself, which both those seeing off and the passengers themselves pass through.
You must place your luggage and carry-on luggage on the magnetic stripe to be scanned.
This will be the first stage of your verification(preliminary), although not all airports in Russia and the world use such baggage control, as they consider it ineffective in the fight against crime and international terrorism.
However, this preliminary inspection is quite fast, since the passenger flow is huge and time is short.
There should be no prohibited items in your suitcase. If you are completely confident in the safety of your cargo, then you will not have any problems.
Separately, you may be asked to place your mobile phone, keys, wallet or any small items on the table that the metal detector may react to, so it is best to put your personal items in a bag or backpack.
You come up to the counter, present your passport and ticket, and from that moment the check-in stage for the flight begins.
An employee will immediately weigh your luggage and will tell you whether you need to make an additional payment for the excess. You can find out the maximum available weight on the official website of your airline.
You can also ask the employee at the counter what can be checked in and what can be taken as carry-on luggage. You must be given a baggage receipt, indicating the acceptance of your baggage on board and its further identification at the place of arrival.
Upon completion of check-in, you will also be issued a boarding pass.. It is worth immediately noting that the carrier is fully responsible for the safety of your luggage.
You must arrive 2-2.5 hours before departure in order to quickly and without any problems go through all the verification procedures.
If you are on an international flight, then your next step will be going through passport control (border control), where you, alone or with a minor child, go to a special window and present your international passport.
The officer checks the authenticity of the document and identity, and also looks at the presence of a visa (if required), which is most often printed on a separate page of the passport.
Then go through the next stage - this is pre-flight control, where security and police officers conduct a thorough search of passengers and their luggage.
The procedure for carrying out the procedure at each airport is individual and depends on the internal rules established by the directorate or administration, but at the federal level, the rules of pre-flight inspection are regulated by Order of the Ministry of Transport of Russia No. 104 “On the procedure for conducting pre-flight and post-flight inspection.”
Lastly, customs control is carried out, personal luggage is subject to customs inspection.
You pass either through the so-called “green corridor” (if there are no goods to declare) or through the “red corridor”, where you need to declare certain goods and currency (over 10 thousand euros).
In some cases, you may be required to pay for goods, which exceed the amount of duty-free import or export. Items prohibited for transportation are often confiscated at this stage.
Pre-flight inspection
According to the Order, the passengers themselves are checked for the presence of goods and substances prohibited for transportation, as well as hand luggage and personal belongings.
A security officer checks luggage using special technical means and contact inspection, which can be used to detect the carriage of prohibited items (weapons, ammunition, drugs, explosives, flammable substances, etc.).
Each airport has its own controls and mandatory rules.
Carry-on luggage (bags, packages, etc.) must be placed on a magnetic tape for scanning. If prohibited items are found, you will be asked to open the bag for visual inspection.
Musical instruments, sports equipment is also checked by security personnel.
Many airports will ask remove shoes, belts, outerwear, remove all contents from your pockets, any metal objects and place them on the table.
All these seemingly insignificant things are thoroughly studied using an X-ray television introscope.
Shoes are placed in special containers for study, and you may be given shoe covers for free or you can buy them for a fee.
However, in accordance with the amendments made to Order No. 104 dated April 16, 2012 shoes or belt need not be removed, provided that you have a low heel (up to 2.5 cm), and its thickness is less than 1 cm; a belt less than 4 cm wide and less than 0.5 cm thick.
However, be prepared for the fact that, by the inspector's decision, you will still be asked to remove your belt and shoes for the inspection.
All technical devices (mobile phones, tablets) will not escape security checks.
Inspection of persons with pacemakers or other implanted devices and metal objects is carried out individually or by contact method (manual).
The passenger must present a special medical certificate and inform the employee about the presence of a pacemaker or other medical instruments before passing through the metal detector.
Screening of disabled people is carried out at medical centers.
Search of people
Personal searches of people are carried out only in exceptional cases. To do this, the suspect must go to a special isolated room.
There are no regulations regulating this procedure, but established practice in various departments indicates established rules for its implementation.
By decision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the head of the customs service the passenger may be subject to personal search in certain cases, If:
In the above cases, the traveler must undergo an individual or personal search.
The procedure is carried out by an employee of the same gender as the passenger in the presence of two witnesses.
Upon completion, a protocol is drawn up, where all passenger complaints about rude and unlawful behavior of responsible persons (if any) should be recorded.
During the inspection, responsible persons are obliged to respect the honor and dignity of the person being searched and not to allow moral and physical harm to be caused in their actions.
Technical and special means of inspection of baggage and passengers
According to clause 10 of the Order Each airport has its own technical and special control means, which are established by the directorate or administration.
For this purpose, a special area and room necessary for conducting verification activities have been allocated.
Special metal detector of varying degrees of sensitivity is a universal means of screening passengers to detect metal objects that pose a threat to flight safety.
For example, weapons, ammunition, piercing and cutting objects are immediately detected by a metal detector, and in cases where the location of a metal object is unknown, but the device reacts to it, employees use a hand-held metal detector.
Microwave scanners Pro-Vision– an advanced passenger screening tool that allows you to completely scan a person through their clothing.
Such equipment is installed at Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo airports, and is also used by other international airports in the USA, Israel, etc.
A person simply enters a special booth and raises his hands, while an employee looks at the monitor screen to see if there are any prohibited items.
System for detecting explosives and narcotic substances has been introduced into many international airports, including Sheremetyevo, which allows it to detect any microscopic particles of explosives and narcotic substances on the human body and objects.
Such a system is presented in the form of a special detector. The passenger simply passes through the detector gate and is blown with a special gas, which then enters a special installation where the results of the passenger's check are recorded.
Radiation monitoring device allows you to detect any gamma radiation from nuclear substances that a person carries in special metal suitcases in order to disguise them.
The passenger simply passes through a metal detector or device called “Spectrum”, which is already equipped with ionizing radiation detectors on the sides.
Such a device is capable of detecting even small particles of nuclear substances.
Television and visual control systems created to conduct video recording on the territory of the airport, air terminal and other premises in order to detect offenses.
Baggage, any hand luggage, as well as personal belongings and items are inspected using special X-ray devices - introscopes.
This X-ray scanner produces clear and bright images of the contents of things, which are colored on computer monitors in different colors depending on the atomic mass.
Such devices can easily detect any explosives and narcotic substances, weapons, etc.
As a rule, you simply place all your luggage, including hand luggage, outerwear, small items on the magnetic tape and the introscope scans them.
If prohibited items are found, you will be asked to open your bag or suitcase, and if suspicions are confirmed, such things are confiscated and a seizure report is drawn up.
According to clause 6 of the Order Only airport aviation security services have the right to inspect your belongings and hand luggage, as well as dog handlers using service dogs.
If there is no competent inspection service at the airport, then the pre-flight check is carried out by the captain of the airliner or any other crew member.
The items you hold in your hands are examined in your presence.
How is cargo checked?
It is immediately worth noting that rules are set by an international organization civil aviation(ICAO).
Pre-flight inspection of cargo occurs through the use of the above special means. Dog handlers are often brought in for verification activities., and in some cases visual control is simply carried out.
According to paragraph 86 of the Order, to ensure cargo safety control, a special inspection group is formed in the presence of a cargo warehouse employee.
Any suspicious cargo is subject to re-inspection to identify prohibited items, and if it is impossible to fully carry out the procedure, the cargo is held for at least 2 hours before being sent on board or placed in a decompression chamber for inspection.
The actual loading of cargo on board the aircraft is carried out under the control of the security service.
If traces of explosives are detected Pyrotechnicians immediately begin working on the spot.
All substances prohibited for transportation are immediately confiscated, and a corresponding seizure report is drawn up.
Weapons and drugs are handed over to internal affairs officers, and criminal proceedings are initiated against the perpetrators. Such cargo is not allowed to fly.
Damaged containers are subject to additional examination, since cargo in this condition cannot be allowed on board.
On-board food is also inspected for the presence of prohibited substances under the control of the forwarder.
After passing all checks, the cargo is marked, and in special documents (invoices) a note is made about the completion of the procedure.
Thus, before air travel, complex and latest security control methods are carried out.
The procedure in question is a necessity for a reliable and safe flight, since any simplification of the pre-flight control procedure in accordance with the Order and international documents is not allowed.
