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With recent claims that non-prohibited items have gone missing from checked bags at Argyle International Airport, persons have asked why the airport conducts manual searches of their bags in the absence of the traveller.

We put this question to officials at the airport on Monday during a media tour intended to “educate the public on matters relating to prohibited travelling items, security procedures, etc.,”

In response, Winston Wright, manager of Ground Handling and Cargo Service at AIA said that the first consideration is logistics.

“An ATR with 68 persons on board, and if you are to call all 68 persons within that half an hour turnaround that carrier has on the ground to search each bag in that person’s presence and answer all questions pertaining to that bag, the carrier will suffer continuous and significant delays, which they, in turn, will complain about the airport facility.”

Wright said that when a passenger purchases a ticket with an airline, he or she enters into a contract of carriage with that carrier.

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“Now, from there, there are certain rules set out and most carriers have their contract of carriage on their website,” he said, adding that the contract is hardly printed on ticket stubs anymore.

“When you read through that, you will see the conditions under which you and your luggage [are] transported,” he said.

Wright further said:

“Now, when that bag is accepted by the carrier, that bag, for want of a better term, becomes the property of the carrier. And any carrier entering into a security arrangement with the airport as required by the regulatory system that exists, that carrier has given permission for your bag to be screened in a particular manner that they consider suitable to meet those regulatory requirements and for transport.”

18 replies on “Here’s why AIA searches your checked bags in your absence  ”

  1. Delano Boyce says:

    When the baggage is being search it doesn’t give the security the right to remove stuff from people luggage , Conduct your searches in an area where CCTV is recording every inspection . Failing that find another mecanizam .

  2. So in other words, they have the right to steal any non prohibitive item (s) from your luggage.

  3. I’m sure all will agree to whatever contract and security measures…. but taking my property is NOT ok…. most of us give our last to our family anyways so the two little things left should be left alone. Hand too darm fast… they gonna mess with the wrong person bag one day and all hell gonna break loose…. set they thiefing ass up with undercover camera

  4. How come Vinci travelling all around the world, adhering to every other airport security rule, pay fines for breach of rules at other airports, have their items taken away at other airports and never broadcast it to the world on social media, but when it comes to AIA the world must know. I could remember having items taken from me in Barbados and see other Vinci got items taken from them, I never read about these things on social media. why are we so quick to destroy what is ours ???.

  5. C. Ben-David says:

    Just bought a set of TSA approved baggage locks. Just hope security recognizes the logo and (1) doesn’t break the lock anyway or (2) has the right key but still steals all my stuff.

    1. So what TSA baggage locks have to do with security if your bag have to search it have to search you is full of it .

  6. Instead of just consficating strong rum from peoples bags they should be prosecuted because the inflamability and explosivability are so critical that they may as well put a can of petrolleum spirit in their bags. They are risking the lives of everyone on an aircraft and also the aircraft itself. We know that the government of SVG do not have proper rescue facilities for water landings or crashes. Every flight may be considered a risk.
    Put up big warning signs in the airport, huge signs, cannot miss signs, then lock them up particulary those filling water bottles with the rum and then putting on new screw sealed tops to try and decieve the officers. In fact prosecute them for carrying the rum, not declaring the rum, and even deception in certain curcumstances. Most of those complaining theft from their bags do so to excuse them for carrying rum.

  7. They think we are fools says:

    That is nonsense no one has the right to search your bag without you present ……that will never stand up in court you must be present for any manual search…. They scan your bags if they see anything suspicious/prohibited those are the passengers the call out for Manuel search….so how would that deal the plane

  8. Tony Durrant says:

    Winston Wright the Ground Manager at the AIA is talking nonsense. The normal practice, operated by all international airports is that searches are carried out via a scanning method when your baggage is dropped off at the Carrier’s desk, not in your presence, but, if anything untoward is found, one is normally informed, in writing. If it is a major violation then that individual could be disembarked for further investigation/prosecution. If we accept that all baggage has to be scanned, then provision must be made, by the airline, ground operators and the airport to undertake this work.

  9. After a passager checks in at the airline counter these lots of time for them to do search and call back the passager back to the counter so that’s bullshit and they want to blame it on the country that the passager land in stupid.

  10. Manuel Noriega died last year so we will not be able to get him to do the searchs. Nor can we use Manuel the Spanish waiter in Faulty Towers TV series because he is dead. I suppose we will just have to use the word manual instead of Manuel

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