FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
2002
2002 - 2142.PDF
A standardised global security system is a long way from reality and may be unattainable DAVID LEARMOUNT / LONDON Commercial air transport security remains a fragmented system, with as many different standards of operation as there are coun tries. It may be that fall-out from the terrorist attacks on 11 September in New York and Washington DC will alter the situation - but it has not done so yet. The best that can be said is that most of the world has now acknowledged the need for a global system. On 7 December, the International Civil Aviation Organisation published a full revi sion of its security standards and recom mended practices (SARPS), listed in Annex 17 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation. It sets out the obligations of signatory states to "safeguard civil aviation against acts of unlawful interference" and lays down the agreed SARPs for achieving this goal. The latest revision of Annex 17 acknowledges that, on 11 September, the air transport industry was confronted with two threats for which it was completely unprepared. They came from a new breed of fundamentalist terrorists who are pre pared to die carrying out their missions and are prepared to use civil aircraft as weapons of destruction. However, despite the fact that ICAO's new security SARPS came into effect on 15 April, most of the world's airports and air lines, if they were subjected to a security audit, would still fail. Nearly 40 states make up the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC). In the next month they expect to announce agreement on an Annex 17-based set of upgraded security measures for the region. This is likely to become influential as a standard for other countries that do not expect to deal with the same risk of terror ism that the USA faces, but who will be pressured by Europe to raise their stan dards if flights go there. In June, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines signed an anti-terrorism accord, agreeing to share passenger lists and other intelligence. At a meeting of security-related ministries in the Associ- Troops at airports are supposed to deter terrorists and reassure passengers ation of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Malaysian officials called for South-East Asian nations to harmonise domestic laws that impinge on terrorism and cross-border crime, and introduce new ones where nec essary. ASEAN members include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, My- anmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thai land and Vietnam. Who pays? Airlines - and thus their passengers - have traditionally paid for all or most airport security. Since 11 September, the Inter national Air Transport Association and the airlines' various regional trade associations have universally called for government provision of security, arguing that the new threats are political and not of the indus try's making. The USA has decided to federalise the provision of security at airports, under the auspices of the new Transportation Secur ity Administration. The US Federal Aviation Administration has also given $100 million to US carriers to help them pay for cockpit security arrangements - basically strengthened cockpit doors. Video surveillance of the area outside the cockpit is not an FAA requirement, but air lines are snapping up the Airbus and 114 16-22 JULY 2002 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.fliqhtinternational.com
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
