Australia first with different levels of screening for regional airports

Australia's Office of Transport Security is set to launch a unique categorisation of airports to support different levels of passenger screening.

The world-first move is designed to provide cost-effective screening at smaller airports.

OTS' Peter Robertson explained yesterday at the Australian Airports Association convention in Brisbane how the scheme will work:

"The date, 1 July 2012, for the screening requirements for open charter and RPT aircraft above 20,000kg is hard wired into legislation, so this must start.

"Security screening of passengers to the new standard at some airports may not be achievable in an efficient cost-effective manner. And we also know that capital works with significant expenditure required at some airports may not be fully met as they stand today.

"So what have we been doing?

"We have been developing regulations to implement the classification system. There has been extensive consultation on this, we have had a couple of rounds at it… The response and the contribution has been absolutely fantastic…

"This is actually quite ground-breaking work. It means that we will be able to supply different security screening measures at airports, depending on their operational environment.

"This initiative is being looked at very carefully around the world because it does break now ground. Pretty much everywhere else there’s a one-size-fits-all concept of screening.

"But screening is costly and particularly as the focus starts to come on to the big airports where we introducing new technologies which are expensive. The regulators have the classic economists’ problem of scarcity. When you put your resources in one area there has to be give somewhere else.

"So what are doing is making sure that we put the attention to those areas that really need it; and not impose undue costs on those other areas that don’t. What we are looking to do is to try to get the best security outcome but in a reasonable way.

"So what we are going to have is a system that for the big end of town it’s not substantially different. And what we have come up with is pretty much what was in line with the (White) Paper.

"We did take into account feedback and some of what went out in the original discussion paper will now be changed; particularly the passenger thresholds…

"It is important to note that all of the existing screened airports will continue to carry on with full security screening. And this will be achieved through an amended aviation screening notice that covers each classification of airport.

"The classification process is simply a mechanism that we are able to put now in law so that the Secretary can place an airport in a particular category rather than hard wiring requirements and regulations which are difficult to change.

"So things won’t change for those airports currently receiving aircraft over 30,000 kilos MTOW.

"Some airports receiving aircraft between 20,000 and 29,000 kg and processing less than 50,000 passengers may be permitted to swap checked bag x-ray machines for 100 per cent ETD of checked bags.

"Some airports serviced by aircraft between 20,000 and 29,000 MTOW and with less than 30,000 departing passengers may be permitted to swap the carry-on baggage x-ray for 100 per cent hand-search of carry-on bags.

"However, passengers in this category will not be able to be cleared into the general network. And that comes directly from feedback from the airports, which were unanimous in asking for that requirement. The airlines, of course, went the other way…

"The drafting process for the regulations is well advanced because we have to have them in place by the end of this calendar year… If the regulations are supported by the Government the classification system will commence the day after the approval is granted.

"This will provide the longest possible lead time for airports to be placed in categories."

Many airports will have already received advice of interim classification plus an invitation to respond to OTS with comments.