Flying with a Colostomy: Security & In-Flight Concerns?

I've flown many times over the years, most recently internationally to Japan. I have found that the level of security varies from country to country, being most thorough here in the US. Although, even here it will vary from airport to airport. On my most recent trip, I found that at TSA, the appliance can be picked up even without a pat-down. Once spotted, the agent will ask and do a pat-down and test your hands for powder residue. No, the appliance does not inflate during the flight, your friend will have no worries in this area. I always empty before boarding and try not to eat anything for a few hours before flying. One thing I do, especially on long flights, is to try to get an aisle seat so that I don't have to climb over people repeatedly in the event that my ostomy is a bit too active.

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I most recently flew in February 2018 and both Portland and Phoenix have the full-body scanners. What an improvement!!! No pat-downs, no having to wait for a supervisor, no hundred questions, nothing. What used to take 20-30 minutes (I also have two artificial hips which set off all the metal detectors) now takes 5 minutes or less.

As far as on the plane, I always go for an aisle seat near the bathroom. Yes, not the most relaxing spot but having quick access to the bathroom makes the trip tolerable. I've flown anywhere from 2.5-hour flights to 10-hour flights and have had no issues on the plane (other than using the bathroom more than most people). I stay away from carbonated drinks and foods that cause gas and do fine.

I just came back from a trip which included flying. I had all my supplies with me in my carry-on bag, including scissors to cut wafer. The man at TSA pulled my bag and searched it. He was an elderly guy who said they were trained to know what ostomy supplies looked like. My scissors were still in the bag they came in and he just looked at them and put everything back. No issues.

Good luck and happy travels!