Fragile medical materials consist of, but are not limited to: blood, human organs, bone marrow, skin, human embryos, and eyeballs. We recognize that pre-arrangement may not be always possible, due to last minute scheduling for transportation of fragile medical materials. To allow us to assist you better, we ask medical couriers to request assistance from a supervisor or Passenger Support Specialist (PSS) upon arrival at the checkpoint.
TSA will review the documentation provided by the courier and ensure that the aircraft operator has been properly notified. The medical documentation provided by the courier may indicate what screening procedures and/or technologies may negatively affect the materials. Screening may consist of a visual inspection and physical search on the outside of the container, and Explosive Trace Detection testing. We will not open or ask you to open the container.
In some cases, you can have pre-arrangement with TSA by contacting TSA Cares, which coordinates communication between the courier and local TSA airport. Upon notification from TSA Cares, local TSA management will be notified and will assign a PSS to assist the courier through the checkpoint screening process. Once the material has been verified, and travel documents and medical documentation have been reviewed, the fragile medical material and courier will be provided assistance by a supervisor or PSS through the screening process, in an expeditious manner, to ensure no damage to the material.