Security screening of baggage protects everyone. Its purpose is to ensure no dangerous item makes it onto an airplane. By law, every country and airline must screen checked bags for explosives and weapons. The ICAO (United Nations aviation body) sets these standards in Annex 17. For example, Annex 17, Standard 4.5.6 says no hold baggage can be flown unless it has been screened to the required standard (iata.org). In other words, before any plane departs, each checked bag must go through approved security scans.
IATA’s own guidance highlights the two key goals of baggage security:
- Prevent unauthorized items: Sophisticated X-ray or CT machines, plus trained personnel, look inside bags to detect threats (like explosive materials).
- Link bags with passengers: Each screened bag is recorded so that only those boarded passengers’ bags are loaded. This is called baggage reconciliation. IATA says all bags must be tracked with a clear record of their owner, so no bag flies if its owner isn’t on board (iata.org).
In effect, screening satisfies both security and safety. It deters and detects bombings or gun threats. And it enforces the rule that you can’t send a bag ahead if you’re not flying with it (unless it’s specially pre-cleared).
Because of these rules, every checked bag undergoes strict checks. IATA notes that nowadays “all hold baggage” on commercial flights must be screened at origin with equipment able to find explosives (iata.org). Many airports even have multiple screening stages (e.g. at check-in and again before loading, or at transfer points), to be sure nothing was missed.
