U.S. Customs and Border Protection Eases Radiation Inspections

You can expect fewer ground delays for business aircraft entering the U.S., thanks to a new rule that allows their auxiliary power units to remain on while Customs agents conduct radiation checks. (The rule applies as long as the exhaust vents for those units are eight feet above the ground or higher.) Cooperation between U.S. Customs officials and National Business Aviation Association representatives led to the procedural change, which greatly streamlines radiation inspections without sacrificing security protections. The NBAA said the shutdown requirement - which was introduced when Customs agents began screening all aircraft arriving in the U.S. using radiation-isotope-identifier devices - caused "significant ground delays."