US airline apologises for frisking former Indian president

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.khaleejtimes.ae/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2009/July/international_July1638.xml§ion=international&col=

US airline apologises for frisking Abdul Kalam (DPA)

22 July 2009 NEW DELHI - United States-based Continental Airlines on Wednesday made a formal apology to former Indian president APJ Abdul Kalam for frisking him before boarding its flight from New Delhi in April.

The apology came a day after angry protests in India’s Parliament over the “humiliating” treatment meted out to Kalam.

India’s Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel told parliament Tuesday that his ministry had demanded the airline explain the frisking of Kalam in violation of guidelines.

Under domestic protocol, presidents and former presidents are on the VVIP list and are exempted from security checks and searches.

Kalam was subjected to a full body check and asked to remove his footwear by ground security staff of Continental Airlines at the airbridge at the Indira Gandhi International Airport before boarding the flight to the US on April 24 this year.

[joeybee12]

1. Good..now he knows how irritating it is to spend an additional 20

minutes after thinking you've passed security...as a male, usually flying alone, and I rarely check baggage, I get this all the time.

Of course, how were they not alerted that this guy was coming?

[imdjh]

2. So the former president of Karbombistan would be exempt from search?

Or just select presidents and former presidents?