Extra Large Luggage

How thoroughly is luggage screened at airports?

Not hand luggage that you carry on, but main luggage, suitcases and such. Could a bomb possibly be smuggled on board?

Public Comments

1. It's not as thorough as you might think, but a bomb would be detected.
2. possibly, depends on how complacant the security guard is being.....
3. you would think it was very thorough, but you still hear stories of things being put through. Hope you aren't thinking of taking one on board, are you?
4. Not thoroughly enough if terrorists have managed to get past it
5. Most of the luggage goes through xray screening, so it is much more difficult than ever before to smuggle an explosive device onto an aircraft. But theoretically still possible.
6. hope they catch u.
7. In the US it is pretty thorough. It does vary from airport to airport though. The reason I know it is thorough is that one time my husband flew, his luggage had been opened and a note from TSA (airport security) had been placed inside letting him know that they had gone through his suitcase and things may looked a bit rearranged. He said they confiscated his packs of breath-strips, which were in foil pouches and there were quite a few of them (or they fell out after the search - the outside pouch was left unzipped).
8. Er, why exactly do you want to know?
9. The level of thoroughness of security screening for checked in luggage depends upon many things. 1. Which airport? 2. What time of day? 3. What is the current security level established by HomeLandSecurity? 1. The busier the airport, the more luggage, the less time to x-ray and examine thoroughly. The larger airports are more likely to have explosive "sniffers." In short, more equipment, more personel, less time. 2. There are times during a day when clusters of flights all want to depart within minutes of each other. Less time to screen checked luggage. 3. Self-explanatory. If authorities say security risk is low, then interest is low. Is it possible to smuggle a bomb on board an airplane in checked luggage? With the layered security approach it is less likely that you can. The danger is that some employee-having greater access-might cooperate with a terrorist.
10. In major airports,x-ray screening machine is used.This screens the content of your bag.This is where weapons are detected. But in smaller airstrips,screening is done manually by use of hand held metalic detectors and manual frisking.Airport personel are highly trained.
11. a bomb.. no.. knives... no.. drugs.. yes