Are dangerous criminals ever transported on commercial flights?

[YogSosoth]

There's an episode of Seinfeld where George pisses off a criminal by taking the last copy of Time magazine in which he was on the cover. He later meet the guy in the bathroom of the plane and gets beat up or something. I've always found that odd.

Do the police ever transport criminals, shackles and all, on regular commercial flights? Seems like it'd be a huge security risk.

[Machine Elf]

The Feds have their own airline for this purpose. The Wikipedia article also claims that this system is sometimes used by state law enforcement agencies as well.

As you note, it seems like it would be a big security risk carrying a prisoner on a commercial aircraft. Moreover, it would unnerve the other passengers.

I can say that in all my years of flying on commercial aircraft, I've never seen anyone on a plane in handcuffs or shackles of any kind.

[KarlGauss]

Well, he turned out not to be "dangerous" (except, perhaps, to the career of an aspiring and gullible DA), but John Mark Karr (i.e. JonBenet Ramsey's confessed murderer) flew from Thailand uncuffed and in business class.

[Canadjun]

Here are some relevant FAA regs.

[Francis Vaughan]

Once when I was flying in the UK, a policeman with a prisoner shackled to him boarded the plane. Policeman had a plastic bag clearly full of other plastic bags of evidence of some kind. Said prisoner was what the Brits like to call a "hard man". Central casting would be calling for him whenever someone needed the crap beating out of them or general thuggery was involved. But as to dangerous, that is always a difficult call. Given the this was the UK, I doubt anyone was armed. They didn't enter the plane via the terminal, rather a police car drew up at the foot of the aerobridge and they climbed the stairs. They sat at the back of the plane. Caused a bit of a stir.

[Loach]

A few years back there was a documentary on the subject.

[coremelt]

Originally Posted by Machine Elf

As you note, it seems like it would be a big security risk carrying a prisoner on a commercial aircraft. Moreover, it would unnerve the other passengers.

The FAA regs posted above seem to indicate it could still happen legally if they needed to move someone urgently and there was no con-air flights available. One high risk prisoner per flight with two marshals attached or two low risk prisoners with one Marshall per flight. Seated at the back, boarded first (not through the terminal) and deplaned last.

Most passengers would never be aware there was a prisoner on the flight.

[GiantRat]

Deportations regularly happen on commercial flights with a LEO (or two) accompanying the deportee. That's why we have deportation agents.

[kp_72110]

While I wouldn't consider myself a "dangerous" criminal, when I was paroled from Colorado to a detainer in Texas I was escorted by a Harris County Deputy on a commercial flight. He showed the proper paperwork and boarded with his firearm and me, uncuffed.

And like he told me "If you try to run I'll just shoot you". And having had dealings with Harris County Texas I knew he was indeed serious. He didn't have to leave me uncuffed but was just being nice about it. Besides he knew and I knew that with the time I had spent in Colorado it was just a formality and that I would be released not long after being sentenced in Texas. About 30 days later I was out. Haven't looked back since then and thank God I no longer have to look over my shoulder for law enforcement. This was in 1990. Things may be quite different since 9/11.

[Siam Sam]

Originally Posted by KarlGauss

Well, he turned out not to be "dangerous" (except, perhaps, to the career of an aspiring and gullible DA), but John Mark Karr (i.e. JonBenet Ramsey's confessed murderer) flew from Thailand uncuffed and in business class.

I believe Viktor Bout may have been transferred to the US from Thailand in a similar manner. (Well, not uncuffed, but on a commercial flight.)

EDIT: No, maybe not. I'm seeing references to "bundled onto a secretive extradition flight."

[Rysdad]

I used to work for a travel agency that did government travel exclusively. I can state for absolute certain that some criminals were transported on commercial aircraft accompanied by armed guards. The criminal always had a window seat in the last row, and the guard sat next to him. There were special codes we had to insert in the record advising the airline that (1) a prisoner was traveling, and (2) the guard would be armed.

I was in that job up until about 1992, so it may have changed since then.