Hello all, This question is for all the airline folks out there. I'm the pilot for a Sheriff's Dept. We operate our own turbo-prop aircraft for our prisoner extraditions (coast to coast). Generally, when we land the local agency is waiting at the airport with our prisoner. They almost always tell me that they wish they could operate their own aircraft, because of the problems with the airlines. Many of them tell us that they are frequently denied boarding because the Captain does not want them on the aircraft.
I understand that having a prisoner onboard may make "some" passengers uncomfortable. But, if the prisoner is boarded "discreatly" first, sits in the rear, and is the last to deplane (as per regs), what is the problem?
I would think that in this post 9-11 era airlines would be more open to having L.E.O.s on the aircraft. Is this really common?
Thanks,
TG