Airline followed rules, India’s VIP list irrelevant: US

New Delhi: Two days after the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) — directed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation — registered an FIR against US carrier Continental Airlines for carrying out a pre-embarkation check of ex-President A P J Abdul Kalam, the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has come out squarely behind the airline. And made it clear that it couldn’t accept India’s list exempting select VIPs from airport checks.
Referring to India’s list which exempts VIPs and their spouses from pre-board screening procedures, the TSA said that “such a list does not mirror US requirements for passengers that are exempted from pre-board screening when traveling aboard US commercial aircraft.”
The US agency also clarified that as per its rules, former Heads of State and other VIPs traveling from an international location to the US on a US commercial aircraft were “screened according to the same screening procedures as for any other passenger”.
“If requested, private screening can be provided,” the TSA said. The TSA said that only “active Heads of State” travelling “under protective escort of the US Secret Service or “high level active foreign dignitaries under the protective escort of the US Diplomatic Security Service” and “vetted through the Department of State and TSA,” were exempted from the screening process.
24/07/09 Raghvendra Rao/Indian Express

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Categories: Airports Jul 2009, Foreign Jul 2009