BIA SERVES AS A REFUELING POINT AND CUSTOMS ENTRY FOR ABOUT 3,000 TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHTS EACH YEAR, SINCE IT IS LOCATED ABOUT HALFWAY BETWEEN EUROPEAN POINTS OF DEPARTURE AND AMERICAN WEST COAST CITIES. THE SECURITY PROBLEM AT BIA ARISES FROM THE PREVALENCE OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS: EUROPEANS WITH THEIR HIGHLY INDIVIDUAL TRAVEL HABITS, RANGING FROM CARRY-ON SALAMI TO PERSONAL HANDGUNS, AND RETURNING AMERICAN CITIZENS LADEN WITH GIFTS AND SOUVENIRS. BIA ENGAGED AN ENGINEERING FIRM AND INDEPTH ASSISTANCE FROM THE MANUFACTURER OF SCREENING EQUIPMENT TO ASSIST THEM IN MEETING THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION'S 1977 REQUIREMENT OF PASSENGER SCREENING FOR ALL CHARTER FLIGHTS. A 'SECOND GENERATION' METAL DETECTOR WAS CHOSEN THAT IS DESIGNED TO ELIMINATE MOST FALSE ALARMS CAUSED BY NONDENSE METAL OBJECTS AND TO MEET POPULATION PROFILES SIMILAR TO BIA'S. THE SAME COMPANY WAS CHOSEN FOR X-RAY UNITS. THESE FEATURED A MOVING BELT WHICH COULD BE EXTENDED FOR HIGH-VOLUME TRAFFIC AND STILL OFFER A CLEAR 'DIRECT-VIEW' PICTURE. THE BELT CAN BE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY FOR INSPECTION AND ALLOWS RELATIVELY LARGE HAND-CARRIED ITEMS TO PASS THROUGH. SCREENING LOCATIONS ARE IN THE DOMESTIC BUILDING AT THE GATE USED FOR INTERNATIONAL DEPARTURES AND AT THE INTERNATIONAL ARRIVALS BUILDING. AFTER THE EQUIPMENT WAS INSTALLED, THE MANUFACTURER NEEDED TO BE RECALLED FOR MALFUNCTIONING. THIS WAS BY THE PLACEMENT OF ALUMINUM SHIELDS TO ELIMINATE INTERFERENCE BETWEEN THE METAL DETECTORS AND X-RAY UNITS. (MHP)