Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Visit the National Academies Press online, the authoritative source for all books from the
National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of
Medicine, and the National Research Council:
Thank you for downloading this free PDF. If you have comments, questions or want
more information about the books published by the National Academies Press, you may
contact our customer service department toll-free at 888-624-8373, visit us online, or
send an email to comments@nap.edu.
Baggage Handling
The objective of this panel is to assess technologies de- all of these vectors must be secure. However, the focus of
ployed to improve aviation security, both to protect passen- this panel is on passenger carry-on and checked baggage.
ger aircraft from explosives and to protect aircraft from dam- The security devices used to prevent the introduction of ex-
age from an onboard explosion. Explosives can be placed plosives via the typical vectors are shown in Figure 4-1.
aboard an aircraft via several vectors, including baggage. In
this chapter the typical processes for handling carry-on and
MOVEMENT OF BAGGAGE AND CARGO
checked baggage in a secure environment are described, in-
cluding the use of unit-loading devices (ULDs) as a basis for Approximately 50 percent of all passenger baggage is
the discussion of the operational issues for using HULDs carried onto airplanes as carry-on baggage; the other 50 per-
(hardened unit-loading devices) as part of an overall avia- cent is checked at the curb, at the ticket counter, or at the
tion security plan (e.g., TAAS). gate. The actual distribution of baggage varies by type of
The six typical vectors for introducing explosives are: aircraft (see Box 4-1). All carry-on baggage is screened at a
passengers (on person); passenger carry-on baggage; pas- security checkpoint by an x-ray scanner prior to being
senger checked baggage; cargo originating from known, un- brought aboard an aircraft; in some cases, bags are further
known, or consolidated shippers; courier bags; and mail. investigated with a trace explosives-detection device or
More subversive vectors include: crew members (e.g., pilots searched physically (Figure 4-2). Once aboard an aircraft,
or flight attendants); an intentional or accidental security carry-on baggage is stowed by the passenger in an overhead
bypass; food catering service or meal cart; duty-free items; bin or under a seat.
cleaning crew; and service crew (e.g., mechanics, fuelers, Checked baggage is sent to a bag room where it is sorted
baggage handlers). To prevent the introduction of an explosive, in a variety of ways, depending on the airline and airport.
Items Screening
Physical search
Passenger baggage
22
BAGGAGE HANDLING 23
BOX 4-1
Baggage Distribution
All Aircraft
60 percent of baggage travels in narrow-body aircraft (e.g., Boeing 737, MD-80)
40 percent of baggage travels in wide-body aircraft (e.g., Boeing 747, 767, 777, MD-11)
50 percent of all passenger baggage is checked
50 percent of all passenger baggage is carry-on
80 percent of all passenger baggage travels as bulk (i.e., loose, noncontainerized)
20 percent of passenger baggage travels in containers (i.e., ULDs)
Narrow-Body Aircraft
50 percent of passenger baggage travels as bulk on the passenger deck in overhead bins and under seats
50 percent of passenger baggage travels as bulk in the cargo hold
Wide-Body Aircraft
45 percent of passenger baggage travels as bulk on the passenger deck in overhead bins and under seats
55 percent of passenger baggage travels in containers (ULDs) in the cargo hold
The panel observed the sorting and loading of baggage and the ticket counter,1 the passenger is asked three questions per-
cargo by more than 10 airlines at Los Angeles International taining to the contents and control of the bag (Figure 4-3).
Airport, San Francisco International Airport, and John F. The passenger is also subjected to CAPS (computer-assisted
Kennedy International Airport for various types of aircraft passenger screening). If the passenger is determined by CAPS
and for domestic and international destinations. The pur- to be a selectee, he or she is also subject to PPBM (positive
pose of these observations was to assess the synergy of the passenger-bag matching). The bag will then be loaded di-
baggage-handling system with planned screening procedures rectly onto the plane if it is a narrow-body plane or placed in a
and the feasibility of using HULDs. ULD and loaded onto the plane if it is a wide-body plane. If
Most of the time, checked baggage is sorted either manu- the bag is checked at the gate, PPBM and CAPS are not used.
ally or by automated card readers and routed to the bag However, bags checked at the gate will have been screened by
make-up area for the appropriate flight. In the make-up x-ray radiography and, possibly, trace explosives-detection
area, the bags for a particular flight are gathered, sorted by equipment (Figure 4-4).
class of service and transshipment, and either loaded into a
ULD that is then loaded onto the aircraft (containerized
Passenger with a Checked Bag on an International Flight
method) or loaded manually onto the aircraft one piece at a
time using a baggage cart and conveyer-belt system (bulk A passenger for an international flight usually checks bags
method). The bulk method is mainly used for narrow-body at the ticket counter. The passenger is asked questions per-
aircraft and the containerized method for wide-body aircraft. taining to the contents and control of the bags and is sub-
However, both methods are sometimes used for both types jected to CAPS and PPBM (Figure 4-5). Checked bags are
of aircraft. For example, ULDs are used for a few narrow- then subject to examination by an explosives-detection de-
body aircraft, such as some Airbus A320 and Boeing DC-8 vice or a certified EDS or are physically searched.2 The bags
aircraft.
1 Passengers who check in at the curb or gate are also asked security
3
questions
Passenger
Carry-on bag
Passenger
deck
ULDs Cargo deck
FIGURE 4-2 Baggage flow and screening for a passenger with only carry-on baggage for a domestic flight.
Passenger
Carry-on bag
Checked bag
Passenger
deck
ULDs Cargo deck
FIGURE 4-3 Baggage flow and security screening for a passenger with a carry-on bag and a checked bag for a ticket counter check-in for
a domestic flight.
BAGGAGE HANDLING 25
3
Jet-way checked bag Questions
does not get PPBM
Passenger
Passenger
deck
ULDs Cargo deck
FIGURE 4-4 Baggage flow and security screening for a passenger with a carry-on bag and a checked bag for a gate check-in for a domestic
flight.
Explosives-
detection
equipment
EDS
TEDD
Passenger
Physical Checked bag
search Carry-on bag
Passenger
deck
ULDs Cargo deck
FIGURE 4-5 Baggage flow and security screening for a passenger with a carry-on bag and a checked bag on an international flight.
BAGGAGE HANDLING 27
to the weight issue. For example, contractual requirements baggage travels in bulk cargo holds or in the passenger cabin
with the U.S. Postal Service dictate that any weight overload and only 20 percent in ULD containers. Therefore, if HULDs
will usually result in the removal of passengers rather than were used for 100 percent of the wide-body fleet, they would
the removal of mail. still only account for approximately 20 percent of all passen-
Seventy-five percent of the commercial airline fleet is ger luggage. The development and use of HULDs are dis-
narrow-body aircraft, which means that 80 percent of cussed in Chapter 5.