Security 108 deadline ‘ambitious’

THE JANUARY 30 deadline for the new air cargo security regulations, Part 108 – demanding a full screening of all airfreight export cargo not classed as “known cargo” – is at risk, according to Bob Garbett, MD of Professional Risk and Asset Management and president of the Business Aviation Association of Southern Africa (Baasa). “This is the target date that has been set by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for full implementation of all aspects of the regulations,” he told FTW. But, he added, this is “ambitious”. “Particularly with the holiday and festive season looming on the horizon,” Garbett said. “Couple this with the wait-and-see attitude of many agents in the forwarding industry, and it makes meeting the deadline seem unlikely.” But Garbett was happy to report that some of the larger international forwarders had introduced “energetic programmes” to become registered by February 2009. Part 108 is designed to be an integrated process which, if it is to be successful, requires co-operation and security measures being applied from the consignor through to the aircraft. The fact that there are a number of security controls outlined in the regulations, and only one needs to be used to comply with Part 108, has its own complications, according to Garbett. Among the approved controls are the likes of X-ray; hand searching; vapour trace protection (explosives detection); or holding back the cargo. “If only one security control were used to convert “unknown cargo” into “known cargo” – like X-ray, for example – this would disregard the integrated requirement, and would certainly weaken air cargo security,” Garbett said. “I would suggest that a varied use of the controls would tighten security considerably.” Known cargo, however, does not automatically go through these security controls. It only faces random checks of about 10% of the total. Garbett also challenged what he described as “a misconception” throughout the freight industry. That,” he said, “is that airlines need not become regulated agents in the formal sense. “Part 108 clearly states in Regulation 108.1.2 that persons engaged in carriage of cargo by air must comply with the regulations. The definition of “regulated agent” also includes the providers of a commercial air transport service.”