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Aviation History
2002
2002 - 0557.PDF
ILL LIST OF READER SERVICES ADVERTISER CONTACTS - 46 EDITORIAL +44 (20) 8652 3842 Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS, UK Fax +44 (20) 8652 3840 email flight.intern3tional@rbi.co.uk Editor Murdo Morrison +44 (20) 8652 4395 murdo.morrison@rbi.co.uk Editor's PA Debra Warburton +44 (20) 8652 3835 debra.warburton@rbi.co.uk Deputy News Editor Emma Kelly •44 (20) 8652 3096 emma.kelly@rbi.co.uk Commercial Aviation Editor Max Kingsley-Jones •44 (20) 8652 3825 max.kingsley.jones@rbi.co.uk Defence Aviation Editor Stewart Penney •44 (20) 8652 3834 stewart.penney@rbi.co.uk Operations/Safety Editor David Learmount •44 (20) 8652 3845 david.learmount@rbi.co.uk Business Editor Alexander Campbell +44 (20) 8652 3990 alexander.campbellirbi.co.uk Business & General Aviation Editor Kate SarsfieW +44 (20) 8652 3885 (maternity leave) Business & General Aviation Reporter Justin Wastnage +44 (20) 8652 3863justin.wastnage@rbi.co.uk Spaceflight Correspondent Tim Furniss •44 (1237) 471960 tim@spaceport.co.uk EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST European Editor Christina Mackenzie +33 (1) 64 23 68 89 christina.mackenzie@rbi.co.uk Israel Correspondent Arie Egozi +972 (3) 9413132 Middle East Correspondent Gerald Butt +357 2 771967 gbutt@spidernet.com.cy AMERICAS Washington DC Office Fax +1 (703) 836 8344 Americas Editor Graham Warwick +1 (703) 836 3448 graham.warwick@rbi.co.uk East Coast Editor Paul Lewis +1 (703) 836 3084 jpaul.lewis@rbi.co.uk West Coast Editor Guy Norris +1 (949) 252 8971 Fax +1 (949) 252 8972 guy.norris@rbi.co.uk Brazil Correspondent Jackson Flores Jr +55 212439-6062 Fax 00 55 212349-6090 fubar@uol.com.br Canada Correspondent Brian Dunn •1 (514) 937-1855 Fax (514) 937-3352 brian@derniermot.com ASIA/PACIFIC Singapore Office Fax +65 338 6171 Regional Managing Editor Nicholas lonides •654343311 Fax+65 338 6171 nicholas.ionides@rbi.co.uk Deputy Asia Editor Andrew Doyle •65 434 3309 andrew.doyle@rbi.co.uk Regional Reporter David Fullbrook •654343314 david.fullbrook9rbi.co.uk Australia Civil Aviation Correspondent Paul Phelan •61(7)40532791 Fax+61 (7)40533003 pdphelan@optusnet.com.au Australia Military Aviation Correspondent Peter La Franchi +61 (0) 419 246 620 Fax +61 (2) 62312795 nulka@ozemail.com.au COMMENT EDITORIAL PRODUCTION Group Production Editor Graeme Osborn +44 (20) 8652 3828 Group Art Editor James Mason +44 (20) 8652 4994 Chief Sub-Editor Chris Thornton +44 (20) 8652 3850 Deputy Production Editor Jackie Thompson +44 (20) 8652 4997 Sub-Editor Elaine Hills +44 (20) 8652 3848 Photographer Mark Wagner +44 (20) 8944 5225 mark, wagner@aviation-images.com ADVERTISING SEE P46 FOR LISTING SUBSCRIPTIONS+44 (1444) 445454 rbi.subscriptions@rbi.co.uk THE FLIGHT COLLECTION kim.hearn@rbi.co.uk WWW.FLIGHTINTERNATIONAL.COM j\-~f~j *ir Transport Intelligence (All), Flight International's sister j£\ J J online service at www.rati.com, contains the full text ol Flight • !••• Internationaland Airline Business since 1996. Full text of the magazines can also be found online with Lexis-Nexis, Dialogue, FT Profile, IAC and Reuters. Editor Kieran Daly +44 (20) 8652 3837 WBTCV T INTERNATIONAL Reed Business Information Divided we fall Globally applied aviation security is an obvious need and the industry will be judged by passengers on its resolution in providing it Setting up a truly global aviation security sys tem is going to be a formidable task, but the International Civil Aviation Organisation and its member states must not be daunted by it. ICAO's first task is to raise $15 million in volun tary contributions from member states and airlines, to set up the aviation security action plan (ASAP) which has just been approved. This will be a good first test of whether the world is prepared to put its money where its mouth is. Those who would use aviation as a means to further political or other aims will be watching with interest to see just how resolute the aviation industry is prepared to be. The central plank of the ASAP is a universal mandatory aviation security system audit programme. To set this up, ICAO has to depend on member states with security expertise and resources to provide ICAO with the people who can form the core training staff and the first of the multi-national audit task forces. Either aviation security is practised globally or it is full of holes So much for the basic resources. In addition to that, the operating mode for the audit teams has to be defined in fine detail, and the system for licensing the inspectors must be deter mined and approved. The ASAP is not the only monitoring sys tem planned for checking the quality of security provided at airports and in airlines around the world. The basic tool will be a new aviation security quality control system, with defined standards and "proficiency indicators". ICAO has yet to define this system, although there should be no shortage of expertise in this field because a number of countries already have their own quality control systems. But in the end, it will be these standards and operating practices that will be judged by the multi-national audit teams when they arrive to check out the security proficiency of individual nations. There is no need to persuade a country like the USA that it needs a good aviation security system to manage both domestic and inbound international flights. It is a wealthy country for which air travel is an imbedded part of its citizens' lifestyle and its corporate needs. But the real motivation comes from the fact that its airlines are more likely to be the targets for groups with a political axe to grind than those of any other nation except Israel. That is the downside, in today's imperfect world, of being powerful, wealthy, influential, and prepared to stand up for one's beliefs. Other nations with the same characteristics, if lesser in degree, also face a risk of violent action against their airlines, so they also have the motivation and the means to act. But the international air transport system is a web, and included in it are economically poor countries that have a far weaker motive for set ting up effective aviation security procedures. Their airlines are far less likely to be targeted by terrorists - unless they are at war - and spending money on providing aviation security will undoubtedly be low on the social priorities list for an impoverished government. ICAO, at its ministerial aviation security con ference, has recognised this problem, and the need to help poor countries, by providing train ing for security system administrators and workers. The organisation insists that it will provide training, not money. Being realistic, in some of the poorest nations, equipment will have to be provided if the ASAP is to become effective quickly. ICAO's ministerial-level meeting early last week was only the start, but so far only the USA and Canada have pledged any money to fund the ASAP The industry is badly posi tioned right now to be able to meet yet more demands for security investment beyond the accepted cost of crew training and onboard security equipment. But nevertheless, the airlines cannot assume that the $15 million needed will all come from state budgets. There are many airlines, and their success partly depends on the passenger confidence that good security will help to generate. The ASAP is an essential project. Either aviation security is practised globally or it is full of holes. It will never be perfect, but ICAO's job is to lead the industry into making aviation a difficult target so as to persuade terrorists or groups who want publicity for their cause to go elsewhere. While ICAO, with the support of its member states, gets on with that vital task, the world must continue to back the US-led attempt to improve international intelligence on fundamentalist political or terrorist groups, because controlling the source of the problem is the ideal. But however good intelligence is, it will fail sometimes, and industry security is the only safety net that the airlines have. SEE AIR TRANSPORT P10 www.fliqhtinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 26 FEBRUARY - 4 MARCH 2002 5
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