Express industry faces unique security risk challenges

The express freight

and courier sector

faces some unique

security and risk

challenges thanks to the

large volume of items

being moved and

collected from just

about anywhere in

the world.

According to David

Alexander, general

manager of

AVSEC,

Professional Aviation

Services, the large client

base using the express

and courier industry are

not necessarily trained or

schooled in the risks

to aviation.

“The express

industry by its

very nature

moves a large

number

of many

different

articles

from all around the world,”

he says. “There are many

potential points of access

for a prohibited item to

be placed in a shipment –

obviously anybody can ship

anything and these are

collected

without

the courier

really

knowing

what is

being

shipped.”

Not to

mention the

technical

and

operational

challenges

that

exist in

applying security

controls and screening to

thousands of individual

items under very tight

deadlines.

“Added to this

is the increasing

sophistication of those

that would do us harm,

those who would use

attacks on civil aviation

to cause death, damage,

fear and disruption to our

peace of mind and lifestyle;

the disruption of freedom

of travel

and the free

movement of

goods being

integral

parts of this

strategy,” says

Alexander.

“The recent

ban on

laptops and

other large

electronic

devices in

the cabin

of aircraft

on certain routes is the

latest indication that these

attacks are becoming more

sophisticated.”

He says screening in

the courier environment

remains difficult, while the

security officer is always

under pressure. “Having

very little knowledge of the

contents of the shipments

being screened – a key

requirement of screening

procedures – and no

detailed description of

content to guide him in the

absence of documentation

these are by no means easy

tasks to accomplish.”

According to Alexander

the best way to counter

these threats is education.

“Educating clients in

aviation security threats

and encouraging them to

invest in quality training

for every single person in

the supply chain remains

crucially important.

Everyone can play their

part in securing the supply

chain and minimising risk,”

says Alexander. “Let us not

just leave it in the hands of

the screener or blindly rely

on our screening process

being perfect, let’s all play

our part in keeping the

skies safe.”

INSERT

There are many

potential points

of access for a

prohibited item to be

placed in a shipment.

– David Alexander