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28-Oct-2014 9:17 AM

IATA calls on partners to address information sharing, border controls, screening and cybersecurity

IATA director general and CEO Tony Tyler addressed (27-Oct-2014) the AVSEC World conference on the topic of aviation security. Key points include:

  • Commercial aviation will connect 3.3 billion travellers with nearly 100,000 flights per day across 50,000 routes in 2014, creating an annual economic impact is estimated of USD2.4 trillion, supporting 3.4% of global GDP. The "tragic events of this year have revealed gaps in the system", and the gaps "cannot be closed with a business-as-usual attitude". Silos that prevent sharing of information between governments and other aviation stakeholders "must be torn down". Inflexible, one-size-fits-all regulations cannot adapt to evolving threats and "must be replaced" with an outcome-focused approach;
  • Aviation must embrace new ways of working together on security issues. Commercial aviation is built on collaboration. Aviation cannot function "if we needed to develop bespoke systems for each airport or destination." As the number/severity of aviation security issues increases, the need for consultation, coordination and cooperation grows;
  • Aviation should take cooperation on safety, which transcends national borders, as a template for security cooperation. In particular the industry and stakeholders need to address:
    1. Information sharing about conflict regions;
    2. More effective border controls;
    3. Better ways of passenger and cargo screening and facilitation;
    4. Threats to cybersecurity;
  • Conflict Zones: Partners must embrace a new approach to sharing information about conflict zones. IATA has made supporting ICAO's Task Force on Risks to Civil Aviation Arising from Conflict Zones a top priority. The Task Force has made 12 proposals which ICAO Council is reviewing. Fine tuning of the proposals is expected before year end. According to IATA, airlines need clear and accurate information on which to base operational decisions on where and when it is safe to fly. If clear and consistent guidance is provided regarding threats, airlines will be able to make informed decisions whether or not to operate in a particular area. There is no international law or convention that imposes on states a duty to manage the design, manufacture and deployment of anti-aircraft weapons and the industry is seeking to augment the international law framework to ensure that states fully understand and discharge their responsibilities in this regard;
  • More effective border controls: There is a need for clear guiding principles in the fight against terrorism, but airlines "are not law enforcement agencies" and border control functions "are the responsibility of States". Partners "must be prudent in how we collect and spend money to support data collection". It is "preposterous" that airlines or passengers should be forced to pay governments to offset the costs associated with processing the passenger data that those governments require the airlines to provide. IATA called on governments:
    • To follow ICAO's standard elements of required passenger information transmitted in advance of departure and eliminate all other requirements;
    • To ensure that systems and processes employed to support electronic transmission of that data are aligned with best practices and standards jointly developed by the World Customs Organization, ICAO and IATA;
    • To eliminate the collection of passenger and cargo data on paper forms;
    • To create a single harmonized window through which airlines can submit electronic data to governments instead of having to provide different bits of data separately to each department within the same government;
    • To use this data to improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of border controls;
  • Smart security: Given the growth in travel and continuously evolving security threats, the current security model is not sustainable for the long term. To address this, IATA and Airports Council International are working together on 'Smart Security' by applying a risk-based model that will enable resources to more rapidly address emerging threats. The cargo community is similarly eager to adopt a risk-based approach to security;
  • Cybersecurity: IATA has put in place a three-pillar cybersecurity strategy that encompasses:
    • Working to understand, define and assess the threats and risk of cyber-attack,
    • Advocating for appropriate regulation;
    • Mechanisms for increased cooperation throughout the industry and with governments. [more - original PR]

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