How they look at suitcases at the airport. The path of the suitcase. How luggage is sorted at the airport. Passport control of passengers - what documents must be presented

As a result, there are individuals who come up with all sorts of tricks to hide cash from airport security services. Passenger control and screening services claim that all this is useless. Modern means of control and inspection make it possible to detect money in luggage as easily as other items. Professionals in their field can even give an approximate estimate of the amount that a particular passenger carries with them.

Baggage screening scanners

Control and inspection services at airports are equipped with metal detectors and X-ray scanners (introscopes). The metal detector is designed to detect weapons prohibited for transportation: firearms, bladed weapons, traumatic weapons, etc. The introscope creates a three-dimensional image of scanned luggage or a person.

X-ray machines are based on one of two operating principles. The first is the reflection of X-rays from objects. At the same time, depending on the density of the object, it will be visible in the picture in its color. To reliably scan a person or object, it is enough to take only 2 pictures: from one side and the other, or from the front and the back. In this case, bundles of money and individual sheets of money will be visible as rectangles with certain sizes and thickness, which will immediately arouse suspicion among an experienced security officer.

The second principle of operation of the introscope is the volumetric radiation of millimeter-wave X-ray waves that penetrate through any obstacles. This radiation is created by two rotating antennas and, thanks to diffraction scattering, a projection is obtained internal structure the object without violating its integrity and without allowing personal inspection.

Thus, a realistic picture of all items of luggage appears on the scanner screen, a clear and detailed image of everything that is under the traveler’s clothes. The linear accelerator, which is equipped with any modern introscope, allows radiation to pass even through very dense objects, which allows the operator to display a very high quality image.

Objects made of organic materials on the introscope screen are colored orange, inorganic ones - blue, and intermediate ones - green. The brightness of the color depends on the density of the object: the brighter the color, the denser the object. Banknotes are easily detected, even if they are rolled up or hidden inside another object.

There is also a third type of introscopes - scanners based on computed tomography technology. They appeared in 2010 and are increasingly used in airport and train station security systems. Such introscopes scan luggage layer by layer and allow you not only to examine internal objects from different angles, but also to find out the internal composition of each item in the suitcase.

It is thanks to this introscope that the customs officer recognizes that the stack of papers being examined is not only the size of banknotes, but is also made up of paper sheets. Thus, in front of him is a wad of money. Based on the characteristic sizes of the bills, you can guess what kind of currency the passenger is carrying and approximately recalculate the number of bills.

Installations with a power of more than 5000 meV even make it possible to identify objects by their atomic number. It is only prohibited to scan a person at this power, so they are used to check objects with thick metal walls.

Personal scanners

Personal security scanners are based on the same principles as introscopes. Penetrating X-rays pass through clothing and human body, and then caught by detectors. Such scanners easily detect all objects hidden under clothing and inside a person. For example, in the stomach or in the cavities. Typically, such scanners are used to search for weapons or drugs from drug couriers, but they can also detect hidden wads of money.

Consequences of finding money

If items found in luggage or on a passenger are undeclared cash exceed the amount of 10 thousand dollars per person, he faces an administrative fine in the amount of 1 to 2.5 thousand rubles. In this case, money exceeding the amount of 10 thousand will be confiscated in favor of the state.

If the amount exceeds $10,000 many times, they are confiscated with the drawing up of an appropriate protocol, with the involvement of employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and subsequent criminal liability. The penalty is a fine of 10 - 15 times the amount carried.

Editor's response

All passengers on domestic flights are subject to passport control and security control. After screening, passengers await departure in a specially designated area. Passengers on international flights must undergo more thorough screening. They undergo customs control, security control, and passport control. To pass all types of control at the airport, passengers on international flights must arrive at least two and a half hours before the departure time indicated on the ticket, and passengers on domestic flights must arrive at least an hour and a half before the departure of the plane.

check-in

Upon arrival at the airport, passengers check in for their flight and receive boarding pass, which states:

  • date of,
  • time,
  • flight number,
  • boarding gate number,
  • seat in a plane.

The number of the counter where check-in takes place is indicated on the electronic board in the departure hall.

Registration can also be completed online from your home or office. Such registration begins 24 hours in advance. You choose a seat that is convenient for you in the aircraft cabin and print out your boarding pass yourself. Upon arrival at the airport, the passenger does not need to go to the check-in counter if he is flying without luggage.

Mobile check-in is also available to passengers. To go through it, just go to the airline’s website from your mobile phone and indicate the number electronic ticket(or passenger name and flight number). The system itself will find the desired flight and offer to choose a seat in the aircraft cabin. After this, an SMS message containing a unique barcode will be sent to your mobile phone. To receive a boarding pass, you need to touch the cell phone screen with a barcode on the display to special equipment located in the check-in hall.

A paper boarding pass is required to proceed to the boarding gate.

Baggage check-in

At the check-in counter, each passenger can check in their luggage. Baggage will not be checked in until the final destination if the passenger is flying on different airlines with different tickets. In this case, you need to re-register at an intermediate point.

Hand luggage

Take things with you to hand luggage Only available in a certain size and weight. In economy class, up to 10 kg is allowed, in business class - 15 kg. The size of luggage must not exceed 115 cm in three dimensions (55x40x20). Low-cost airlines have different requirements for hand luggage; you can find them on the carrier’s website.

In hand luggage, you cannot carry sharp objects, liquids exceeding 100 ml in volume, radioactive, explosive, or flammable substances. It is best to check the list of prohibited items for transportation in hand luggage in advance with a representative of your airline.

In addition to the permitted baggage, in addition to the permitted baggage, passengers are allowed to take into the aircraft cabin:

  • laptop,
  • bouquet of flowers,
  • video camera, photo camera,
  • umbrella,
  • baby portable cradle,
  • cane,
  • diapers and baby food,
  • documentation,
  • book to read,
  • outerwear,
  • telephone cellular communication,
  • crutches, a stretcher or a wheelchair when transporting a passenger with limited mobility,
  • a bag with purchases from the Duty Free store.

These items are not presented for weighing and are not processed during registration.

Weight norm for free transportation luggage in the cargo compartment of the aircraft is limited. Typically it is around 20kg for an economy class passenger and around 30kg for those traveling in business class. You will have to pay approximately 3 euros for each kilogram in excess of the established norm. To ensure that your bags and suitcases are treated with special care, you can ask the airport employee for a sticker on your suitcase when checking in.

Such fragile items can be transported in the aircraft cabin as hand luggage. But at the same time it is necessary to comply with the established limits on weight and dimensions. If you want to transport fragile luggage weighing up to 75 kg, for example musical instruments, then you need to purchase a separate ticket for one seat. If the total weight exceeds 75 kg, such baggage is carried on two or more seats, and this will require the required number of air tickets. No discounts are provided in this case.

Checked baggage

Typically, the baggage you check in can contain any items except dangerous ones:

  • drugs,
  • explosives, etc. (according to international classification).

A special permit must be issued for weapons.

Overweight luggage

The passenger is obliged to pay for the transportation of baggage that exceeds the free baggage allowance at the established rate in effect on the day of transportation for the entire transportation to the destination. To avoid overpaying for luggage, you need to check the baggage allowance in advance on the airline’s website. It is better to pay for excess luggage online; the cost of paying for excess luggage at the airport is much higher, on average 20 euros per 1 kg.

It should be borne in mind that exceeding the norms is also limited, even with an additional payment. Excess baggage should not exceed:

  • for economy class passengers - 32 kg and 203 cm,
  • for business class passengers - 50 kg and 203 cm.

Pre-flight screening of passengers (security control)

When going through security control, you must present your ticket, boarding pass and passenger identification document.

During pre-flight inspection, the passenger is asked to provide for inspection using technical inspection equipment (introscope):

  • outerwear,
  • shoes,
  • items containing metal (belts, keys, cigarettes, cigarette cases, etc.).

The passenger himself must go through the frame of a stationary metal detector.

Passengers with implanted devices that stimulate cardiac activity are subject to personal (individual) search without the use of technical means.

Passengers who, for health reasons (disabled people, people with limited physical capabilities, etc.) cannot undergo pre-flight inspection procedures on a general basis, undergo pre-flight inspection at the airport first-aid post.

Some passengers may also be screened individually. This inspection is carried out only:

  • by decision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs,
  • by decision of the services aviation security airport,
  • persons of the same sex as the passenger being searched,
  • in the presence of two witnesses,
  • with the participation of employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in transport,
  • with the mandatory drawing up of a protocol.

customs control

Customs control includes inspection of personal luggage and belongings. The currency you carry with you in the form of cash is subject to declaration (oral or written). It all depends on the amount of currency. Import into the Russian Federation and export from Russia of cash foreign currency by individuals (residents and non-residents) is carried out without restrictions. Cash foreign currency is subject to mandatory declaration if its amount exceeds the equivalent of 10,000 euros.

If you have goods in your luggage, for the export or import of which an additional duty is paid if the size is exceeded duty free import, you will have to leave them or pay a fee. Such goods include cigarettes, coffee, wine, tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, and perfumes.

For more information about how much and what can be taken out of Russia,

If there is a suspicion that there are dangerous objects and substances in a passenger’s belongings, a manual search of the passenger’s belongings may be carried out. A passenger who was found to have dangerous substances and objects during inspection:

  • weapon,
  • ammunition,
  • explosives,
  • means of explosion,
  • explosive devices,
  • narcotic,
  • poisonous,
  • poisonous,
  • radioactive substances,

not allowed to fly. The act drawn up in this case and the seized substances or objects are transferred to the internal affairs bodies to resolve the issue of bringing the passenger to criminal liability.

Passport control

After passing through customs control, passengers undergo passport control. If you are making an internal flight, you must present an identification document of a citizen of the Russian Federation (passport, diplomatic passport, international passport, military ID, sailor's passport (sailor's identity card)). If the flight is international, you must present your passport.

When leaving the Russian Federation, employees of the border control department only check the legality of the passenger’s stay on the territory of the Russian Federation and do not control the citizen’s right to enter another country. In accordance with Art. 6 of the Federal Law “On the procedure for leaving the Russian Federation and entering the Russian Federation”, the responsibility for monitoring the availability of a visa and the validity of the documents required for entry into the country of destination is assigned to the air carrier. Documents can be checked by an authorized representative of the airline during check-in or directly during boarding.

Foreign citizens, when entering and leaving Russia, are required to present valid (according to their validity period) documents issued by authorized bodies that identify them and are recognized Russian Federation, and a Russian visa.

If a child under thirteen years of age is traveling with you, you must show the border guards his birth certificate, and if he is flying alone or flying with one of his parents, consent to travel.

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 high voltage is applied to the X-ray tube and disappears after the voltage 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.

Scanning all passengers and luggage at the airport has become a common procedure in last years. Arriving at the airport, travelers already know that they will have to undergo a security check. With a large amount of luggage, this necessary step often takes a lot of time and requires enormous patience.

Passengers do not always show this same patience while waiting in line and during inspection; these control procedures seem pointless and unsafe for health, especially when it comes to the scanner. Let's take a closer look at how the scanning machine works.

Execution Control Scan Service

Airport scanner: purpose

A scanner at the airport is a way to objectively prevent violations and an opportunity to ensure flight safety for everyone on board and in the building. In today's conditions of the widespread threat of terrorism, there is always a risk of an extreme situation.

How scanners work at the airport, what the machine shows

The principle is very simple. You need to be double checked. Already at the entrance to the terminal building, everyone is forced to place their bags on a belt, which feeds the luggage into a camera that scans the contents. This is the primary stage. Then, after checking in for the flight, in order to proceed to the departure area, everyone undergoes a second, more detailed check at the time of passing through customs.

Important! The scanner checks luggage and passengers themselves for the presence of prohibited items and substances.

X-rays at the airport are safe, with the exception of pregnant women and disabled people who have a built-in machine to stimulate the heart. They are allowed to bypass the procedure. However, if a girl’s pregnancy looks unnatural or suspicious, she may be taken behind a screen to make sure there are no irregularities.

Scanning in the customs control area

A human scanner at the airport is mandatory for all other categories of citizens, including children. In this case, harm to health is excluded, because the effect of the beam lasts one moment.

X-ray operation in personal inspection mode

Note! The first thing that should be emphasized regarding the operation of a microwave device that checks luggage and people is that it is absolutely safe for health and property.

How does X-ray work at the airport? The rays completely cross the passenger's body. In this case, it is often necessary to stand on a special platform and raise your hands, placing them on special circles on a glass panel. This allows you to perform a check more efficiently and quickly.

The main requirement when going through a personal search at the airport is the absence of metal or too dense objects on the body. An employee may ask you to remove bracelets and watches; sometimes you need to remove metal earrings and rings, chains, if they are quite massive.

Note! IN criminal world trying to cheat the system. Drugs can be smuggled by placing a packet of powder or herbal material in the rectum. Sometimes prohibited items are swallowed. In the vast majority of cases, these violations are identified and the offender is arrested.

To ensure additional security, an operative with a dog may be on duty in the hall.

For decent citizens, the verification process does not pose any threat. A person who is asked to remove a jacket, belt or jewelry must calmly obey and comply with this request, show the requested part of the body or luggage.

Personal scanner check

During the review, each request does not contain any personal manifestations of antipathy or threat. The security inspector at the airport checks all people boarding the flight, and this is also the daily duty of the security guards. However, each passenger has the opportunity to demand respect for his rights. If a passenger believes that the search is carried out in too harsh a manner, is accompanied by rudeness, or there is a risk to health when using the scanner, you can safely contact the police or the administration.

List of prohibited items

Passenger screening at the airport is carried out in connection with certain security requirements. Among them are the following prohibitions:

  • transportation of liquids in containers with a capacity of more than 100 ml;
  • flammable liquids, varnishes, paints, sprays and gas cartridges;
  • a complete ban on the transportation of weapons and sharp objects, scissors, knives, bladed weapons, large manicure equipment;
  • drugs, alcohol;
  • transportation of animals hidden in luggage;
  • explosive and various military devices.

Personal searches are also carried out for the carriage of similar objects and other things that citizens try to hide on their bodies or under clothes.

Important! The examination is carried out according to the man / man, woman / woman system, that is, women are checked by a female employee, which reduces the likelihood of conflict during the procedure.

This is how the security system works everywhere, regardless of whether it is Moscow, Ufa or California.

The human body and personal luggage under X-ray examination

If security considers some items subject to confiscation, this issue must be discussed with the airport administration. If this is not done, large containers, alcohol or other prohibited items will be confiscated and disposed of.

Is it possible to fool the scanner?

Any technical device is imperfect. Of course, even with a very strict system of controls and total searches, there is always the possibility that someone will be able to carry a liquid or other prohibited item in a bag. How is this possible?

Note! This paragraph of the article is not an instruction on how to violate airport security regulations. The article informs you about cases where scanning tools may malfunction and explains their possible causes.

  • Poor object readability.

Despite the capabilities of X-ray, sometimes it does not work. For example, if an object is wrapped in foil, it blocks x-rays. Such an object is highlighted in dark color on the controller screen. If the employee simply does not pay attention to this fact and allows the intruder to pass, then the object will be carried onto the plane. Obviously, this moment is very dangerous, so security officers make sure through inspection that there is nothing prohibited in the suitcase. In this case, they are often asked to open the bag and demonstrate what exactly is in this place.

  • Too much accumulation of things.

Multi-layer luggage bags can make it difficult to see a dangerous object. This leads to the fact that the passenger can easily carry with him a large container of liquid, shampoo or drink. Often the inspector cannot see that such an object is in the bag if his attention is switched to another, more noticeable and voluminous object.

  • Human factor.

If employees are distracted by something, the tape check is paused. But in the general chaos there may be a moment when an unscrupulous passenger or attacker successfully smuggles in dangerous cargo. If anyone witnesses this incident, they must report it to the security service.