Better integration of safety and security operations was touted as the way forward, as were options to improve both, in a panel discussion at the IATA World Cargo Symposium in Dublin in October.
The two usually overlap, but security tends to look at the issue of intent and its consequences more, although as was pointed out, both rely on similar management systems and tools.
Many would like to see the two work together more closely as the industry tackles an ever-more complex workload. “We see no difference between safety and security,” said, Darren Hart, freight engagement data lead with UK Border Force.
Two concerns are usually mentioned. One is that non-integration of the two operations is not productive and allows things to slip through, increasing the chance of breaches. The other is that there could be a bottleneck, especially economically, because the closeness of security and safety is not recognized.
One particular concern is the rise of ecommerce, bringing into the air cargo trading system increasing numbers of people, some of whom are criminal but many of whom are just ignorant of the industry’s rules and will send dangerous goods without thinking of the problems they could cause. “Eighty percent of ecommerce traders don’t understand dangerous goods rules,” Hart said.
Part of the problem, and a significant block on reform is institutional. “We see so many links and interdependencies; how stubborn we are in saying that needs to separated,” said Adam Troczynski, an aviation security consultant with IATA.
One of the other ways forward is a need to expand pre-arrival safety and security to the pre-loading stage, though some on the panel would push for it to occur at the pre-acceptance stage.
Michael Mackey
