Quick Answer: Most insulin pumps should not be screened by airport scanners. When departing from UK airports, bring a doctor's note and a Medical Device Awareness Card to inform security officers.
Travelling by air with diabetes involves undergoing airport security screenings with all your medical supplies. It's fairly common to fly with an insulin pump, and airport security agents in the UK are familiar with your rights as a diabetic traveller.
Before you depart, it's advisable to complete a diabetes travel letter or a Medical device Awareness Card, indicating that you have diabetes and wear an insulin pump.
Let's explore this subject in more detail and find out the exact situation with insulin pumps at the airport.
Related: Flying with Insulin: How to Take it on a Plane? Airport Regulations & Insulin Coolers.
Understand Airport Scanners & Security Screenings in the UK
In UK airports, as well as in most airports around Europe and the World, passengers might encounter three principal types of security screening machines, which could inspect any insulin pumps you carry. These include X-ray machines for luggage, metal detectors, and full-body scanners for personal scanning.
- Baggage X-ray Machines. These machines inspect both your carry-on and checked luggage before it's loaded into the aircraft hold. X-rays, which are a form of electromagnetic radiation, penetrate different materials to varying degrees, allowing the internal contents to be displayed and checked. It's less common for these machines to be used directly on individuals, so your worn insulin pump is typically not at risk. However, ensure that any spare insulin pumps in your luggage are shielded from direct X-ray exposure, as most are not designed to withstand this.
- Metal Detectors and Hand-held Detection Wands. As you pass through the walk-through metal detectors at security checkpoints, any metallic items on your person will cause an alert. These machines, along with hand-held detection wands, do not emit harmful radiation and use electromagnetic fields to detect metal only. According to most manufacturers, the fields generated should not interfere with the operation of an insulin pump.
- Full-Body Scanners. Increasingly common in UK airports, full-body scanners use millimetre wave technology to scan your body without emitting ionizing radiation, unlike X-rays. However, some manufacturers of insulin pumps advise against wearing the pump while passing through these scanners due to potential interference.
For a more dynamic way to learn about these topics, you might enjoy a concise video overview which discusses insulin pumps and airport security in depth.
Related article: The Ultimate Checklist for Traveling with Diabetes!
CAA and Insulin Pumps
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is fully informed about the needs of diabetics using insulin pumps during airport screenings. They have even introduced a Medical Device Awareness Card, which informs passengers of their rights and guides security officers on their responsibilities when encountering insulin pumps at the airport.
According to the CAA, passengers with an insulin pump should:
- Carry their Medical Device Awareness Card along with a doctor's note.
- Notify the airport security officer about their insulin pump.
- Remove any spare insulin pumps from their carry-on luggage before X-ray screening.
If you are wearing an insulin pump, you will not go through standard electronic screening. Instead, you will receive a manual inspection, and your spare insulin pumps should be searched by hand.
It is also important to note that security officers are not permitted to ask you to remove your medical device from your body under any circumstances.
What Insulin Pump Manufacturers Say
Now let's explore what the manufacturers of the five most popular insulin pumps in the UK have to say about their devices' resistance to electromagnetic interference from airport scanners, X-ray machines, metal detectors, and 360-degree full-body scanners.
Related article: Does Insulin Really Need to Be Refrigerated?
Medtronic insulin pump at airport security
Medtronic is one of the leading insulin pump companies. According to its website, both the MiniMed 670G and MiniMed 630G can resist common electromagnetic interferences.
However, it expressively states that the pumps should not go through x-ray machines used for luggage nor full-body scanners. You should require a pat-down search instead. If you choose to go through the full-body scanner, you must disconnect and remove your insulin pump first.
When you buy a Medtronic insulin pump, it comes with an airport information card that's helpful to carry for security screenings. If you've lost it, you can download the airport information cards for both the MiniMed 670G and the MiniMed 630G online.
Omnipod and airport security checks
Flying with insulin pumps from Omnipod seems to be a bit easier. According to Omnipod, both its insulin pump (Pod) and its remote controller called the Personal Diabetes Manager (PDM) can safely go through airport X-ray machines, metal detectors arches, and 360 full-body scanners!
The manufacturer only warns its users that the insulin pump and the personal diabetes manager connect via Bluetooth wireless technology. While on the plane, ask the airline workers about the policy regarding electronic devices and Bluetooth.
Tandem Insulin Pump at airport screenings
Your Tandem insulin pump can safely be carried through a metal detector. However, your pump should neither go through x-ray machines nor full-body scanners.
Tandem puts at your disposal a printable note for flying with your pump to show the airport security officers and to require a pat-down search instead.
Accu-Check Combo at the airport
Accu-check insulin pumps can go through metal detectors but should be taken through neither x-ray baggage machines nor full-body scanners.
However, the manufacturer Roche Diabetes is quite reassuring in case it happens: "Due to the design, there is no risk for the user to wear the Accu-check Spirit Combo pump in an area with those static fields. If a magnetic disturbance occurs, the pump will alarm the user with an auditory and tactile warning (…) and display an "E7" electronic error message". In that case, the pump will immediately stop delivering insulin until you start it again.
Should you disconnect your insulin pump at the airport?
It depends. As said before, UK airport security officers are not allowed to ask you to remove your insulin pump nor to take it through technology screening machines against your will.
If you request a hand search, you do not need to remove your insulin pump. The security agent can inspect your pump with a hand-held detection wand.
If you choose to go through a full-body scanner anyway, you should remove your insulin pump, so it does not get damaged by x-rays. In that case, disconnect your pump, remove it, and connect it back after you've cleared all security controls.
Related article: How to Travel with Refrigerated Medicines?
Should you disconnect your insulin pump during the flight?
Atmospheric pressure changes during take-off and landing can create air bubbles that cause unintended insulin delivery in pumps.
To prevent severe and repeated hypoglycaemic episodes during the flight, it's advisable to disconnect your pump before takeoff and landing.
Once at cruising altitude, prime the pump to remove any air bubbles from the tubing before reconnecting. You should follow the same procedure for landing: disconnect your insulin pump as the plane begins to descend, and once landed, prime and reconnect.
Further information: Changes in altitude can cause unintended insulin delivery from insulin pumps, according to a study by Bruce R. King, published in Diabetes Care Journals, 2011.
We'd Love to Hear Your Thoughts!
Please leave a comment below. Have you ever encountered any problems with your insulin pump at UK or international airports?
