The aviation security inspection of passengers and their carry-on baggage on departure in Vietnam

The aviation security inspection of passengers and their carry-on baggage on departure in Vietnam (Image from the Internet)

The aviation security inspection of passengers and their carry-on baggage on departure is prescribed in Article 41 of Circular 13/2019/TT-BGTVT guiding the elaboration of Vietnam’s aviation security program and aviation security quality control issued by the Minister of Transport, specifically as follows:

1. Airlines shall be only allowed to agree to transport and let passengers board if they have their boarding passes and identity documents specified in the Appendix XIV hereof and have undergone security inspection. Checked baggage of each passenger shall be checked in individually instead of in group. Before allowing passengers to board, the check-in agent shall compare passengers against their identity documents and boarding passes to make sure that passengers, their identity documents and boarding passes match.

2. Passengers with checked baggage, except for the cases specified in Clause 3 of this Article, must be present at the check-in counter to drop their baggage. The check-in agent shall compare passengers against their boarding passes or tickets and identity documents, and ask them about their baggage. In case of any suspicion, notify the person in charge of the aviation security checkpoint.

3. A passenger may authorize another person to follow check-in procedures on his/her behalf in the following cases:

a) The mission is composed of a member of the Politburo, member of the Party Central Committee, alternate member of the Party Central Committee, Minister and the equivalent or higher positions, Secretary or Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of province or central-affiliated city; President of People’s Council, President of People’s Committee of province or central-affiliated city; Deputy Minister of Transport; Deputy Minister of Public Security; Deputy Minister of National Defense; Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Director of Operations of General Staff, Chief and Deputy Chief of General Political Department of Vietnam People's Army;

b) The director of the airports authority shall decide and take responsibility for emergency cases.

4. Passengers without checked baggage may check-in themselves through the online check-in system or self check-in kiosks allowed by airlines and relevant competent authorities without being present at the check-in counter.

5. 100% of passengers and their carry-on baggage shall undergo screening; passengers who refuse to undergo screening will be refused permission to fly.

6. At each aviation security checkpoint, there must be rooms for aviation security search; X-ray machines, door-frame metal detectors, hand-held metal detectors, explosive detection devices, communication devices and other necessary tools and devices.

7. At each aviation security checkpoint, there must be sufficient aviation security control staff to sufficiently and effectively perform the following tasks:

a) Check and compare passengers’ identity documents against their tickets or boarding passes physically or electronically (mobile phones, computers, etc.) and passengers;

b) Instruct passengers to place their personal belongings, baggage and items on the conveyor belt of X-ray machine;

c) Check passengers using hand-held metal detector or explosive detection devices, conduct manual checks and search of passengers;

d) Monitor the screen of X-ray machine continuously for no more than 30 minutes with a minimum interval of 30 minutes;

dd) Receive baggage and items to be screened at the request of the staff monitoring the screen of X-ray machine and transfer them to the staff conducting manual checks and search;

e) Conduct manual checks or searches of carry-on baggage and items;

g) The chief of the shift shall direct, manage and monitor all tasks performed at aviation security checkpoints; rotate tasks of staff during each shift; resolve difficulties and take actions against violations reported by staff; not directly perform the tasks specified in Points a, b, c, d, dd and e of this Clause.

8. Passengers shall comply with all instructions and request of the aviation security control staff, and passenger and carry-on baggage screening procedures as follows:

a) Passengers shall take off their coats, hats, shoes and belts, and remove their personal belongings and other carry-on items; put items, liquids and electronic devices on a tray to be passed through the X-ray machine before walking through the door-frame metal detector;

b) If the door-frame metal detector triggers alarms when passengers walk through it, the aviation security control staff shall use the hand-held metal detector and conduct a manual check at the same time;

c) Passengers shall put their baggage on the conveyor belt to be passed through the X-ray machine. In the case of suspicion, the aviation security control staff shall conduct a manual check or security search as prescribed.

9. Passengers and baggage that have completed aviation security procedures shall be continuously inspected using CCTV cameras or directly inspected by the aviation security control staff or inspected using the two aforementioned measures until they board.

10. Aviation security check of disabled passengers, war invalids, patients on wheelchairs or stretchers and with medical aids implanted on them shall be manually conducted or conducted using other measures at appropriate locations.

11. Manual checks of passengers and their carry-on baggage shall be conducted at aviation security checkpoints or in security search rooms. Manual checks of passengers at aviation security checkpoints shall be conducted by the staff of the same gender. Where necessary, female staff may check male passengers. Manual checks in search rooms shall be conducted by staff of the same gender, witnessed by a third person of the same gender and recorded.

12. In case dangerous articles not allowed to be carried along or put in carry-on baggage are found, the aviation security control staff shall comply with regulations specified in Article 62 of this Circular.

13. A random manual check of passengers and their carry-on baggage shall be additionally conducted after the first aviation security check with a percentage of at least 10%. The random manual checks shall be conducted at an aviation security checkpoint or passengers shall be taken to a security search room upon request. The manual check shall be conducted in a manner that ensures it is conducted continuously during operating hours of the security checkpoint in a day. Methods and procedures for manual checks of passengers and their carry-on baggage shall be specified in ASRs of aviation security assurance service providers.

14. Procedures for security inspection of passengers and their carry-on baggage on departure shall be elaborated in ASRs of aviation security assurance service providers.

Above is the consulting content.