The Public Health (Aircraft) Regulations 1979

Detention of aircraft

14.—(1) When on the arrival of an aircraft at a customs airport the medical officer has reasonable grounds for believing that the aircraft may be an infected aircraft or a suspected aircraft, or an aircraft which, although not falling within either of such categories, has had on board during the voyage a case of a disease subject to the International Health Regulations in respect of which the aircraft has not outside the United Kingdom been subjected to appropriate measures equivalent to those provided for in these regulations, he may cause the aircraft to be detained for medical inspection.

(2) If the medical officer has caused an aircraft to be so detained, he shall inform the person in charge of the customs airport of such detention and send a notice in writing of such detention to the customs officer.

15.  If a customs officer receives in respect of an aircraft a notice in writing from the medical officer under regulation 14, he shall, if he visits the aircraft before the medical officer, deliver the notice to the commander and take all reasonable steps to secure compliance therewith.

16.  Where on the arrival of an aircraft at a customs airport it appears to the customs officer that during the voyage of the aircraft—

(a) there has been on the aircraft a death caused otherwise than by accident, or a case of illness which is or is suspected to be of an infectious nature; or

(b) the aircraft has been in an infected area; or

(c) death not attributable to poison or other measures for destruction has occurred amongst rodents on the aircraft,

he shall, unless the authorised officer otherwise directs, give such directions as seem necessary to him to secure the detention of the aircraft, the persons carried thereon, and its stores, equipment and cargo.

17.  The detention of an aircraft by a customs officer under these regulations shall cease as soon as the aircraft has been inspected by an authorised officer or, if such inspection has not commenced within 3 hours after the aircraft has been so detained, on the expiration of that period:

Provided that nothing in this regulation shall affect the power of the medical officer to continue the detention of an aircraft under regulation 18.

18.—(1) The medical officer shall inspect any aircraft and the persons carried thereon as soon as possible and in any case within 3 hours after it has been detained under these regulations.

(2) If the aircraft is one to which the authorised officer is required by these regulations to apply any further or additional measure, or if after such inspection the medical officer considers it necessary to apply any further or additional measure under these regulations, the medical officer may continue the detention of the aircraft, if such continued detention is necessary for the application of that further or additional measure.

Release of aircraft

19.  When the authorised officer releases an aircraft from detention he shall give notice in writing to the customs officer, to the commander of the aircraft and to the person in charge of the customs airport that, so far as control under these regulations is concerned, the aircraft is free to proceed at or after a date and time stated in the notice.