ECACNEWS

WINTER 2023

#77

European Civil Aviation Conference Magazine Aviation security:

challenges today, and
solutions for the future

Capacity-building
SECURING OUR SKIES: programmes in Europe
and around the world
the continuing and changing Aviation security
importance of aviation security technology: supporting
future resilience

ECAC Spotlight on the

Guidance Material
Task Force
Contents #77
FOREWORD
1 Gunnar Ljungberg

Aviation security: challenges today, and solutions for the future

3 It’s time for a change

Eleanor Travers

6 Current challenges and future development of aviation security

– a perspective from Rwanda
Silas Udahemuka
Challenges in staffing, and skills issues in aviation
9 Charalambos Souroullas
Security and facilitation outcomes of the 41st ICAO Assembly
12 Sylvain Lefoyer

Capacity-building programmes in Europe and around the world

Best practices in designing and delivering capacity-building activities

16 Artem Melnyk
CASE II: Capacity building during the COVID crisis
19 Mark Rodmell
The CASE II experience: implementing an interregional workshop
21 Hanan Achahboun
My experience as a CASE II Project secondee
24 Miguel Martín ECACNEWS
#77 – Winter 2023
Publication Director
Aviation security technology: supporting future resilience PATRICIA REVERDY
Editorial Committee
PATRICIA REVERDY, SIMONA WIST,
The role of technology in civil aviation security operations
27 Hamad Salem Al Muhairi
GILLIAN CAW
Editor
GILLIAN CAW
Open architecture in airport security equipment
31 – a collaborative approach
gcaw@ecac-ceac.org
Designer
Bernard Artal Graphisme
Sébastien Colmant Cover: © EvgeniyShkolenko;
FrameAngel (Ratina Thongteeka);
ECAC Common Evaluation Process of security equipment
34 Interview with Alastair McIntosh
huettenhoelscher; kopitin; mhcollection
Ph: © CEAC

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Interview with Eleanor Travers News are those of the authors
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41 ECAC in brief reflect the opinions of ECAC
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 Foreword

I n this edition of ECAC News, we delve into the ever-important topic of

aviation security. With aviation now well along the route to recovery from
the COVID-related crisis, effective and efficiently applied security measures
will be an important part of enabling the continued and sustainable regrowth
of the sector.
GUNNAR LJUNGBERG
The articles included in this magazine cover topics that are particularly relevant ECAC Focal Point for Security, and
to this issue, from the latest developments in aviation security technology, to Civil Aviation and Maritime Director of the
the challenges faced by security personnel and the importance of training and Swedish Transport Agency
human factors.

We explore how aviation security could change in the near future, with a focus
on new technologies and innovations that are being developed to keep
passengers and crew safe, including the open architecture in airport security
equipment and the roadmap to the ECAC Common Evaluation Process (CEP)
of security equipment. We also take a closer look at specific security issues,

“
such as lapses in certification and re-certification, as well as the challenges
in staffing and skills, which could hamper the recovery of aviation if not
addressed effectively. Effective and
In addition to discussing the latest developments in aviation security, we also
efficiently applied
take a closer look at best practices in designing and delivering capacity- security measures
building activities, and also learn from the experiences of different countries
around the world, such as Cyprus, Rwanda and the United Arab Emirates. will be an important
We also examine the main outcomes of the 41st ICAO Assembly on aviation
part of enabling
security and facilitation, and discuss the EU-funded and ECAC-implemented the continued and
CASE II Project and its multilateral capacity-building activities addressed to
Partner States in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, aimed at improving the level sustainable
of effective implementation of security measures on the ground through
technical support on-site.
regrowth of the
sector.”
Finally, I would like to thank all the contributors to this edition of ECAC News,
and I invite you to discover the interesting topics being addressed here. I hope
that the insights and information shared will increase awareness and
understanding of the importance of aviation security and inspire readers to
take an active role in keeping our skies secure for all.

ECAC NEWS #77 I Foreword I1

 Aviation security:
challenges today, and
solutions for the future

2 I ECAC NEWS #77

 Aviation security: challenges today, and solutions for the future
© jopanuwatd

It’s time for a change

“B eware of false knowledge, it is more danger-
ous than ignorance” was the advice of
George Bernard Shaw, a renowned Irish playwright,
Aviation security relies on three pillars: people, pro-
cess and equipment. Aviation security experts
largely agree that we will always need people to
advice I consider pertinent today. In a world where achieve effective aviation security; despite the
there is access to information on an unprecedented human factors that can beset our performance, we
scale, where technology is so advanced that for can process and respond in a live environment, in
certain tasks it can replace people, and where ways that a machine cannot. Conversely, experts
societal values have transformed attitudes and also agree that increased reliance on equipment
indeed regimes globally, the words of this play- with better detection capability is the appropriate
wright are a sobering reminder of our responsibility, path. We also know that aviation security is best
particularly in aviation security. achieved by design, with layers and a combination
of measures set down in documented processes ELEANOR TRAVERS
Aviation security has had to evolve in response to that ensure prohibited articles and unauthorised Aviation Security Manager,
acts of unlawful interference and acts of terrorism persons are not present in security-restricted areas Irish Aviation Authority
that have killed many over the years. So too has of airports or on aircraft. We measure these pillars
regulation evolved as a response, with the intro- through certification of personnel, equipment per-
duction of walk-through metal detection to counter formance evaluation, compliance monitoring, test-
hijackers using metal weapons, and screening to ing, and within the wider economic reality of costs,
counter improvised explosive devices being con- profitability and value for money.
cealed in cabin and hold baggage. The evolution is
often represented as “reactive”, too little, too late. It
is also slow – a commitment at European level to
screen hold baggage as a result of a terrorist attack
So why would there be a concern about false
knowledge? Are we ignorant about the aviation
security regime?
“
Beware of
false knowledge,
in 1988, took more than a decade in many States
to become a regulatory requirement. It’s my view that change is needed because there
it is more
are elements of our system that are not put effec- dangerous than
The ICAO Threat and Risk Context Statement is a tively to good use. As Nelson Mandela put it, “Times
valuable insight for its users, a global gauge to con- change, and we need to change as well.” ignorance.”
tribute to within national threat and risk assess-
ment processes. It gives a global perspective and We have significant amounts of information, but GEORGE BERNARD SHAW
over time has shown the increasing sophistication how we measure, benchmark, compare and share
as well as risk vectors that States, regulators and that information is where there is room for improve-
industry have to consider and mitigate. This is ment and change. Reliable evidence-based and risk-
unlikely to change as the threat to civil aviation informed decision making is not only an objective,
remains. it is the only way to work together effectively.

ECAC NEWS #77 I Aviation security: challenges today, and solutions for the future I3
 It’s time for a change

Dimitrov
© Boyan
When covert testing, are we measuring
compliance or vulnerability?

Those readers familiar with aviation security regu- To take a process example, I look to risk assess-
lation will know that information sharing is a key ment (threat assessment is not included in this
element enshrined in ICAO standards, ECAC policy example, being the purview of police and intelli-
recommendations, as well as national and inter- gence services for the most part). Risk assessment
national law. When we think of security intelligence, is the role of an appropriate authority and is
for example, in the case of a specific threat, we ex- the way the modern aviation industry conducts
pect that the police and appropriate authorities the business in both safety and security management
world over have a means of sharing that informa- systems. Risk assessment starts with the identifi-
tion with each other. cation of the risk or hazard. It elaborates methods
of attack. At this stage, this information should be

“ However, when it comes to system performance largely common to all, nuanced perhaps by some
this information is not shared uniformly, and I local factors. The next stage is the evaluation of
Reliable question whether globally it is measured uniformly. the mitigation, much of which is common – same
In effect, if a State or airport puts in a measure that access control, same screening. Again, there should
evidence-based results in a significant improvement in detection or be no reason this cannot be shared and compared.
otherwise, we would like them to volunteer that Then we look to effectiveness of the mitigation or
and risk-informed information in order to (a) know it exists, (b) share vulnerability and here is where I see a gap in our
knowledge. How do we measure the effectiveness
decision making it with others, and (c) provide the learning oppor-
of the mitigation or vulnerability let alone compare
tunity that improves the system overall. Don’t we
it? Are we measuring compliance or vulnerability?
is not only an all have the same objective? We expect intelligence
to be shared but what might the system look like if
objective, it is the we could expect that routine performance informa- When it comes to risk assessment, often – and
tion is shared? If we do not share how and what we rightly so – the information is considered security-
only way to measure, comparison is difficult if not impossible sensitive and classified. While that is a legitimate
and learning opportunities are limited. position, it hampers the ability to share information
work together and if there is one thing I know from my experience
in aviation security, it is that information is a trad-
For automatic explosive detection systems equip-
effectively.” ment, we know, from the lists of equipment meeting
able commodity. And then we get to risk appetite,
which will be different as States experience differ-
national and international detection standards,
ent levels of threat. However, this is not shared or
that there are a limited number of manufacturers.
compared. Why is that? Perhaps this limitation is
For example, does one airport have better perform-
understandable in terms of public communication,
ing equipment than another when it is the same
but why is it also true amongst aviation security
manufacturer and model? What is an appropriate
policymakers and experts?
measure for their operational performance? Are we
measuring it and if yes, are we sharing this
I contend that we need to devalue the informal
information not only at the State level but on a
networks through which information is traded and
regional level? We know that security detection
establish formal mechanisms at the system level,
equipment is specialised, but not all States have the
where information becomes knowledge, and where
same capability in terms of testing and validating knowledge becomes wisdom giving real insights to
equipment. Thus, we rely heavily on sharing this system performance.
information before it appears on “lists”. Why does
that information sharing stop once equipment is in
operation?

4 I ECAC NEWS #77 I Aviation security: challenges today, and solutions for the future
 It’s time for a change

We need to establish formal mechanisms at the

What might that look like? To use an example, system level, where information becomes knowl-
many States grant exemptions from screening in
certain circumstances, often on the basis of a policy edge, and where knowledge becomes wisdom
decision rather than a process. ECAC has guidance
for a risk-based process that can be used by its giving real insights to system performance.
Member States. Taking that ECAC guidance, it would
be possible to compare the criteria used by a
number of Member States to determine which crite-
ria are more important, which criteria can be re- To quote a Guinean proverb, “Knowledge without
moved, which criteria result in differences between wisdom is like water in the sand.” To become wise,
States, none of which is possible to know today. we need to use our knowledge and information in
Sharing and discussing these criteria increases a new way, promoting the learning opportunities Eleanor Travers leads
confidence that we have similar approaches and and bringing a new energy and insight into the avi- the Aviation Security
use standardised internationally recognised pro- ation security system to identify what is working, Division in the Irish
cesses, and gives flexibility and tolerances within and what’s not. Where our people, process and Aviation Authority, which
is the appropriate
the risk assessment framework. equipment are the same, have we the same per- authority in Ireland for
formance and effectiveness? How can our system the purposes of EC
Another example is covert testing used to deter- improve, ideally through working smarter and at a Regulation 300/2008.
mine the effectiveness of processes in place at air- lower cost? Eleanor has worked in
aviation throughout her
ports and on aircraft. A number of regulators, career, initially in airport
including the Irish Aviation Authority, are using Albert Einstein considered that the true sign of operations and latterly in
covert testing to also measure vulnerability. You intelligence is not knowledge but imagination. If aviation security. She
worked at international
may ask what the difference is given that the test indeed imagination is the measure of our intelligent level with ECAC in Paris
process is identical. We know that security is not aviation security system, what do we use to before returning to
100% – any individual measure can be defeated. measure it? Our ECAC community, through its avi- Dublin to work for the
So we layer the measures, consolidate them in the ation security task forces and forum, can work authority. The authority’s
Aviation Security Division
design and implementation. What percentage per- together to ensure future decisions and devel- is responsible for
formance results? Is that consolidated approach opments are inspired by imagination and based on processing approvals,
achieving 100%? reliable, aggregated evidence. More immediately conducting compliance
monitoring, certifying
though, we need to prioritise the conversation and personnel and
It is important that we do not confuse compliance process that will bring us there. coordinating aviation
and security – they are not the same. Compliance security matters with
more than 400 regulated
data can be a source of “false knowledge” – think- I want to see a regime that is constantly striving entities.
ing that the system is so compliant it cannot be vul- to be better for the travelling public, that knows
She is currently chair of
nerable to attack. Hence using a standardised, its strengths and weaknesses as a system, and ECAC’s Guidance Material
repeatable and reliable methodology to test vulner- not one focused only on its own part. I believe it Task Force and is
ability and sharing the results between the partici- is time to change our thinking, to engage our committed to promoting
information and
pating States, we have learned simple steps and collective imagination, to invest in reliable informa- experience exchanges
identified operational best practices from each tion to progress advancements, and it is time to that improve the
other that improve detection, and at no additional share meaningfully the criteria and performance effectiveness of the
national and global
cost to the operators. We can measure the vulner- data that transforms the system in a wise and aviation security system.
ability more accurately and use that information to considered way. Will you join us and make the
reinforce and improve the mitigation measures. change?
© dutourdumonde

ECAC NEWS #77 I Aviation security: challenges today, and solutions for the future I5
 Aviation security: challenges today, and solutions for the future

Current challenges and future development

of aviation security – a perspective from
Rwanda
Background gin. It is the acceptance and formal approval by a
State that security measures carried out in another
Rwanda has recognised air transport as one of the State are at least equivalent, in terms of the secur-
flagships for the country’s development as part of ity outcome, to its own security measures. Such
its National Strategy for Transformation. In recent approval may be in respect of one, multiple or all
years, Rwanda’s aviation industry has grown in security measures based on risk assessment. One-
leaps and bounds with the desire to achieve effec- stop security will be established with the benefits
tive accessibility/connectivity into and out of in mind, such as increasing passenger satisfaction
Rwanda, to and from the rest of the world, in line by providing a more seamless travel experience,
with Rwanda’s economic growth imperatives. and operational and efficiency improvements for
airports and airlines, including increased flight
As a way of facilitating this growth, it was necess- turnaround, among others. The OSS arrangement
ary to improve Rwanda’s aviation security and cannot thrive without international partnership and
safety in order to achieve international standards collaboration. Rwanda plans to conduct a risk
certification in safety, security and quality of oper- assessment to identify States/airports from which
ations. These certifications – beyond safety stan- more passengers and cargo transit through our air-
SILAS UDAHEMUKA dards – allow Rwandan-registered air carriers to ports, so that the OSS arrangement can be estab-
Director General of the Rwanda easily obtain approvals and authorisations to ac- lished. We are also considering obtaining consent
Civil Aviation Authority, and cess different destinations, but also to be a member and possible memoranda of understanding with
Bureau President of the African of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), destination airports (downstream validation) so
which in turn increases passenger numbers that passengers and cargo can be expeditiously
Civil Aviation Commission
through partnerships with other airlines and organ- handled without interruptions. We strongly believe
(AFCAC)
isations globally. that the global nature of aviation security requires
that States are cooperative, collaborative and
One-stop security largely dependent on the effectiveness of each
other’s aviation security systems to provide a com-
Rwanda intends to increase passenger facilitation mon secure aviation environment. Despite en-
while ensuring their security by establishing one- hancements to the security system, terrorists
stop security (OSS). One-stop security is a security continue to view civil aviation as an attractive tar-
concept where transfer passengers and/or hold get and continue to exploit real or perceived vulner-
baggage are not rescreened at transfer airports if abilities in the international civil aviation system,
they were adequately screened at the airport of ori- with the aim of causing substantial loss of life,
© Funtap

6 I ECAC NEWS #77 I Aviation security: challenges today, and solutions for the future
 Current challenges and future development of aviation security – a perspective from Rwanda

economic damage and disruption to connectivity

and trade between States. Cooperation among
States in areas of aviation security and safety is of
great essence, especially in the physical and cyber
domain. This makes all ICAO Contracting States
stronger. Nation States/ICAO Contracting States
should avoid seeing their own effectiveness and re-
silience in dealing with aviation security threats as
a source of pride and comparative advantage but
rather as the potential for actors with ill intentions
to exploit the weakest link, and that any successful
attack would undermine the global aviation indus-
try as a whole.

Smart security and internal capacity

© rawpixel
building
Rwanda has streamlined its equipment and sys-
tems procurement process by considering technol-
ogy assessment to ensure that equipment acquired
is of current technology, can be available on the Effective oversight performance
market, and addresses the existing threats to the
aviation industry. We put in place security equip- The efficiency and effectiveness of aviation secur-
ment/systems that are effective in screening pas- ity officers is and remains instrumental in improv-
sengers, their baggage and cargo in an expeditious ing Rwanda’s performance during the ICAO
manner and without unnecessarily inconvenienc- Universal Security Audit Programme - Continuous
ing passengers to the greatest extent possible. Fur- Monitoring Approach (USAP-CMA), where the ICAO
thermore, in the security design of the new airports Council President awarded Rwanda for improving
and alterations to existing facilities at international its performance from a low score of 67.3% in 2010
airports, Rwanda ensures that the architectural and to 86% effective implementation of aviation secur-
infrastructure-related requirements necessary for ity oversight performance.
the optimum implementation of aviation security
measures are integrated. These improvements not only led to an increase in
the aforementioned score, but were also part and
In the course of Rwanda’s aviation development parcel of the activities that led to attaining the
journey, the main pillar has been building the inter- requirements for the United States Federal Aviation
nal capacity of our AVSEC and safety oversight per- Administration’s (FAA) International Aviation Safety
sonnel, cognizant of the fact that effective security Assessment (IASA) Category 1 status following a
and facilitation cannot be achieved without proper thorough review of our progress in improving safety
training. Rwanda has embarked on training its op- oversight processes. Safety oversight assessments
erational and oversight personnel in accordance are conducted back-to-back with the aviation
with the requirements of the National Civil Aviation security operations and oversight. The registered
Security Training Program and Rwanda Civil Avi- achievements are to a great extent due to the
ation Regulations (RCARS). abundance of political will from our government
and partly as a result of our partnerships with
international organisations such as ECAC, which
has assisted in providing workshops and training
Effective aviation security is focused on Best Practices for National Auditors
(BPNA1) under the EU-funded and ECAC-imple-
anchored on a bedrock of timely mented CASE Project in 2019, and the extended
testing and certification of security equipment con-
intelligence information, tested ducted in 2022 under the subsequent CASE II Pro-
ject. This is expected to propel Rwanda to new
procedures, appropriate heights in implementing international Standards
and Recommended Practices (SARPs).
technological infrastructure, and
motivated and well-trained
security personnel.

ECAC NEWS #77 I Aviation security: challenges today, and solutions for the future I7
 Current challenges and future development of aviation security – a perspective from Rwanda

© KrulUA

Resilience against aviation threats cation of systems and information to alter the de-
sired dissemination of information; and ensuring
The aviation industry must recognise the changed the availability of relevant information by prevent-
threat spectrum where cyber threats and insider ing disruption of services and productivity.
threat stand out prominently and as some of the
most elusive – harder to detect and prevent than Conclusion
traditional external threats. For example, a cheap
wireless hardware will expose aeronautical com- There is a need to provide unique insights into
munications systems to a wide range of threats. We means to enhance the resilience of aviation secur-
Silas Udahemuka should appreciate and support ICAO’s initiative in ity operations moving forward, including through
is Bureau president of establishing and forming a study group on cyber illustrating ways to foster innovation that is effi-
the African Civil Aviation security, and many other regulators who have cient and effective, from the human, operational
Commission and a already developed or are now working on cyber innovations and financial perspectives.
member of the board security-relevant regulations, such as EASA.
of directors of the East As the aviation sector becomes digitised and
African Community – increasingly reliant on automation and therefore
To ensure effective continuity and sustained civil
Civil Aviation Safety and
aviation operations, it is imperative to manage becoming attractive to cyber attacks by both na-
Security Oversight
Agency, which is a evolving threats such as cyber security, which tion-State actors and terrorists, it is imperative that
Regional Safety necessitates adopting cyber security measures cyber security protection mechanisms for aviation
Oversight Organisation and procedures. Rwanda has instituted cyber se- communication technologies be considered as a
(RSOO). He currently curity measures, such as an awareness campaign requirement in the course of their design or specifi-
serves as the director that is conducted through our National Cyber cation document and development.
general of the Rwanda Security Authority (NCSA) in collaboration with
Civil Aviation Authority. Most often, civil aviation authorities and the indus-
other stakeholders and partners, to educate the
Before being appointed
staff, operators and the public about cyber security try at large focus their efforts on mere compliance
to the position of director
general in 2014, best practices and their rights to personal data pro- with existing ICAO SARPs, Annexes to the Chicago
Mr Udahemuka tection and privacy. Convention and national regulations that normally
deputised the director take a long time to evolve, rather than accompany-
general in the same Rwanda civil aviation also, through the director ing this compliance while continuously looking to
organisation and was general’s directives, requires all air services oper- the future to anticipate those vulnerabilities and
responsible for airports ators to identify their critical information and data potential threats that could diminish and under-
management and mine our required preparedness.
to be protected, put in place measures for their pro-
operations, a position
tection and – should the need arise for their dis-
he served in for seven
years. He joined the Civil posal – put in place measures for secure disposal. As civil aviation is so critical to the functioning of
Aviation Authority in Such measures are subjected to oversight to ensure global economies, both in developed and devel-
January 2007. that effective implementation is realised. oping countries, and as aviation-related safety and
security incidents have such an enormous impact
The Rwandan aviation industry’s resilience against on the media, especially with new technologies that
cyber security is based on three principles: ensuring enable rapid spread of information and mis-
confidentiality of data and information by prevent- information, it is likely to remain an attractive tar-
ing unauthorised disclosure of systems and get for attackers who want to cause maximum
information; preventing the unauthorised modifi- disruption.

8 I ECAC NEWS #77 I Aviation security: challenges today, and solutions for the future
 Aviation security: challenges today, and solutions for the future
© ilixe48

Challenges in staffing, and skills issues

in aviation
The problem tourism industry turned its attention to personnel
employed previously in the aviation sector because
The aviation market was hit particularly hard by they were qualified (better trained in customer ser-
the pandemic, resulting in huge losses for almost vice and possessing certifications).
all operators and related entities (airports, air car-
riers, handling agents, security companies, etc.) The aviation sector and associated jobs are not so
over the last two years. Consequently, the industry attractive anymore. This, of course, was the case
had to lay off a huge portion of its staff. Govern- before the pandemic – but it was exacerbated fol-
ment aid helped them cope with those losses. When lowing that. People began to look for something
conditions quickly returned to “normal” following better in terms of their career prospects and their
the lifting of most travel restrictions, the aviation way of life. They changed the way they perceived
industry did not follow, and it was simply left short-
CHARALAMBOS SOUROULLAS
employment; a new generation of workers is think- Former Head of Aviation Security,
staffed both on the ground and in the air.
ing far differently than the previous generation Department of Civil Aviation,
20 years ago.
Reasons for the problem Cyprus

Layoffs of a noteworthy number of competent staff The system was mainly based on temporary/sea-
were a major part of the crisis, but they weren’t the sonal jobs; a lot of people were not dedicated aviation
only factor. Other reasons fueled the crisis, and it industry workers but were employed in the sector
would be beneficial to identify them and try to find for some extra money. This affected mainly holiday
ways of solving the problem – or at least minimis- destinations in countries that base their economy
ing its impact. on tourism. The quality of staff and aviation-oriented
personnel may have been an issue in the past, but
The pandemic’s effects on operations and the it has now become more important than ever.
resulting travel restrictions imposed by all States
resulted in job cuts. Because of decisions taken by Operators and entities knew recovery was on the
most operators and entities during the pandemic, way but they were unable to plan ahead, mainly
people lost faith in the aviation sector. They simply due to insufficient data. As a result, it was simply
don’t want to come back to work in aviation. They impossible to project developments. Recovery from
found jobs in other sectors with better wages and the pandemic and the lifting of travel restrictions
working conditions and less stressful, and they are were very swift, faster than industry could predict
not willing to return to what they had before. The and cope with.

ECAC NEWS #77 I Aviation security: challenges today, and solutions for the future I9
 Challenges in staffing, and skills issues in aviation

Possible solutions
(short, medium, long term)
The response time for enhanced background
checks must definitely be improved. We need to
talk to all relevant national authorities, bodies or
agencies to reach a satisfactory agreement on
what is a reasonable amount of time to screen
© henkeova

prospective employees, so that the additional re-

sources required to accelerate the processing times
are made available; government support is needed
for that.

New regulations entered into force on 31 December Enhanced background checks performed by other
2021 that mandated enhanced background checks States on the principle of mutual recognition and
for all staff before they gained access to security- based on a Memorandum of Understanding should
restricted airport areas. These security checks also be accepted, where possible. The European
required the additional gathering of any intelli- Commission has already issued information stat-
gence or other information that national authorities ing that this is accepted provided it is confirmed by

“
might consider relevant to the suitability of a pros- the local appropriate authority.
pective employee. The involvement of several na-
If all involved tional/foreign authorities resulted in a process that Pending the completion of the enhanced back-
was too slow, and it could take from 30 days (for ground check, escorting persons could be a partial
work together, nationals) to 60 days (for European citizens) – or solution to the problem; the number of persons
even more – to be completed. under supervision (until the enhanced background
operators and check is completed) should be limited to those who
This was also exacerbated by the inclusion of a new can be effectively monitored and not be based, for
entities will be able regulation requiring screeners and persons per- example, on a certain percentage per airport or
forming access control, surveillance and patrols at area of operation.
to satisfactorily airports not to be trained until completion of the en-
hanced background check. These delays made Operators and entities should try to properly man-
operate with the many people seek employment elsewhere because age flights and traffic and predict, as far as poss-
they would simply not wait until they were secur- ible, their needs, react early and ensure that the
minimum ity-cleared, trained and then undergo additional details of new employees are submitted to auth-
disruption to on-the-job training and certification before they orities as early as possible.
were given a contract. It was simply too long!
operations. Staff should be willing to work flexible hours and
The percentage of non-nationals undergoing en- accept to work overtime when needed. Operators
We owe that to hanced background checks caused more delays in and entities should also seek to move staff from
obtaining security clearances because national one airport to another, based on actual needs and
our customers: the authorities needed to contact foreign government hours of operation, where possible.
authorities for information.
passengers!” Training before completion of enhanced back-
Complexity of regulations – it is difficult for anyone, ground checks for several categories of staff once
especially a screener, to reach a satisfactory level they have undergone the standard background
of information in a short period of time in order to check. They could then possibly perform their on-
be able to implement satisfactorily the required the-job training under supervision. This, however,
standards. Qualified personnel with skills and a does not apply to screeners and those performing
high level of education turned to other sectors for access control, surveillance, and patrols at the air-
employment; the aviation sector was left mainly ports; once they undergo their standard back-
with staff with limited skills, low educational level, ground check, they could attend training including
and seniors, as they have difficulty finding work in only information that is available publicly, until the
other sectors. enhanced background check is completed.

10 I ECAC NEWS #77 I Aviation security: challenges today, and solutions for the future
 Challenges in staffing, and skills issues in aviation

Another possible solution is to allow those Risks associated with the proposals
screeners waiting for enhanced background checks
to be completed to work in areas where airport The implementation of some of these proposals
identification cards are not required, e.g. prepara- may also lead to some weaknesses in the security
tion of passengers, where they can be quickly system.
trained and deployed in front of the screening
checkpoints. There should be consideration for potential security
threats to aviation posed by issues relating to the
The appropriate authority should reconsider the recruitment, training and deployment of new avi- Recently retired head
possibility for those operating outside the security- ation staff. In addition, carrying out quick security of aviation security,
restricted areas to undergo a standard background checks on individuals may lead to mistakes that Charalambos
check, as far as possible, based on national rules could potentially be exploited by terrorists. Another Souroullas, joined the
risk, given the quality of staff employed nowadays, Department of Civil
and on a risk assessment, in order to ease the work
is whether standards will be satisfactorily imple- Aviation in Cyprus in
done by the national authorities. 1988. He served as an
mented.
airport officer and
Operators and entities should try to attract quality supervisor at the island
staff by offering better working conditions, career Appropriate authorities’ and operators’/ nation’s two airports,
incentives and rewards for productivity. They entities’ responsibilities responsible, among
should also conduct information campaigns to pro- others, for ground
It is clear that appropriate authorities should be support equipment and
mote the aviation sector; it is crucial to create a involved and assist operators and entities in ma- operation/safety
most favourable working environment to attract naging their operations, as far as possible; working training. He joined
new talents. They should continue to employ exist- together is the only way to reach the best possible aviation security in 2003
ing staff during low season, even if staff is not solution to the problem. Monitoring of all operations and served as Larnaca
really needed. This would allow them to have staff has to be continuous and intensified by all appro- Airport security manager,
available, ready for work with the appropriate priate authorities, operators and entities to ensure national auditor and
security clearance, when needed. Governments head of aviation security.
there will be no drawbacks to the implementation He has a diploma in
should also be involved, especially in staff reten- of the aforementioned proposals.
tion, by providing financial aid to operators and en- mechanical engineering
from the National
tities. If staff are made redundant, every effort One could ask whether the proposed measures will Polytechnic School of
should be made to ensure they will be back next solve the problem of staff shortages. They may or Athens, a Diplôme
season. may not, but – in my opinion – they will mitigate d’Études Approfondies in
the problem. If all involved work together, operators Mécanique des Fluides
Good packages to qualified staff who left should be and entities will be able to satisfactorily operate and a Diplôme de Doctorat
proposed, in order to bring them back: they are in Énergétique from the
with the minimum disruption to operations.
qualified, trained and ready for deployment! École Centrale des Arts et
Manufactures (Paris).
We owe that to our customers: the passengers!
Automation and new equipment to enable staff to
carry out as little manual work as possible, staff
that can be used where they are needed most,
should be promoted.

“ The response time for enhanced background checks

© amedeoemaja

must definitely be improved.

”
ECAC NEWS #77 I Aviation security: challenges today, and solutions for the future I 11
 Aviation security: challenges today, and solutions for the future

© ICAO
Security and facilitation outcomes
of the 41st ICAO Assembly
Every triennial session of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly is a key time for international aviation and all
its stakeholders. The 41st Session of the ICAO Assembly was held between 27 September and 7 October 2022 and reunited more than
2500 delegates from 184 Member States and 57 Observer delegations. Two and a half years after the beginning of the COVID-19
pandemic, the organisation of this hybrid event in the midst of the recovery of air transport was significant for many stakeholders, and
ICAO was ready for this critical Assembly and the discussions that took place. The international situation in 2022, in particular the
climate emergency, added to the importance of the meeting for all States and organisations participating in the discussions.
With so much at stake, the 41st ICAO Assembly could not be anything but impactful.

T his Assembly was clear on the significance of

aviation security and cyber security, based on
feedback resulting from the pandemic and the
more resilient in the future. This resolution takes
into account key recommendations stemming from
the Facilitation Stream of the 2021 High-level Con-
challenges of resuming traffic to enable a secure ference on COVID-19. The second new resolution
and sustainable recovery of air transport. addresses “Accessibility in aviation”, a growing
subject on facilitating the transport of persons with
Member States continued to share their experiences disabilities.
in the numerous Assembly papers they submitted
and their interventions during the various sessions The Assembly also adopted the priorities and
to exchange on the strategic directions for the work expected outcomes for the 2023-2025 triennium
of the organisation for the next triennium. for the facilitation programmes related to Annex 9
– Facilitation, the ICAO TRIP Strategy and the ICAO
By the large number of papers submitted, this Public Key Directory. Notably, support of the imple-
41st ICAO Assembly was a clear reminder that ICAO mentation of interoperable health certificates
Strategic Objective Security and Facilitation is a pri- with the Visible Digital Seal for Non-Constrained
ority for States. Environments (VDS-NC) and the inclusion of associ-
ated public key certificates in the ICAO Health
SYLVAIN LEFOYER One of the main messages highlighted during this Master List.
Deputy Director, Aviation Security Assembly remains that the Strategic Objective
and Facilitation, Air Transport Security and Facilitation is an enabler of the sustain- With regard to aviation security and considering the
Bureau, International Civil able recovery of traffic. current and foreseen global threat picture, the As-
Aviation Organization (ICAO) sembly reaffirmed the necessity to mitigate secur-
More than 40 working papers pertaining to ICAO ity risks posed to civil aviation globally. To be more
facilitation programmes were submitted. Following effective, States have decided to continue their
discussions and recommendations by the Execu- ongoing efforts regarding the notification and
tive Committee, the Assembly adopted two revised analysis of security occurrences and incidents, the
resolutions, one on the “consolidated statement on strengthening of risk assessment and manage-
the continuing ICAO policies related to facilitation”, ment methodologies, and the reinforcement of
and one on “Assistance to aviation accident victims cooperation within and between States and with
and their families”. Two new resolutions were also other key stakeholders.
adopted, the first being the “Declaration on air
transport facilitation”, affirming global commitment The Assembly also took note of the lessons learned
to enable the safe and efficient recovery of aviation from the pandemic to consolidate security sys-
from the COVID-19 pandemic, and to make aviation tems. We all need to ensure the aviation workforce

12 I ECAC NEWS #77 I Aviation security: challenges today, and solutions for the future
 Security and facilitation outcomes of the 41st ICAO Assembly

is competent, motivated, and well-trained to in- measures and actions to achieve the objectives of
crease the efficiency of aviation security measures the Aviation Cybersecurity Strategy’s seven pillars.
implemented and in fine to mitigate risks posed to
civil aviation. Robust and adapted training should The Assembly reaffirmed that the upcoming 2023-
be implemented, as well as a strong, positive se- 2025 triennium will be devoted to implementing
curity culture. This work has progressed as a result technical work founded on the new governance
of the shared achievements of the ICAO Year of structure for cyber security in ICAO. This structure
Security Culture (YOSC) that took place in 2021 but is based on two panels of experts: the Cybersecur-
will require a continued strategic approach to ity Panel reporting to the Council’s Aviation Security
human factors and practical actions to promote Committee, and the Trust Framework Panel of the
security awareness and optimal security behaviour
by all entities and individuals at all levels.

Naturally, all these priorities will be reflected in the

“ By the large
number of papers
Air Navigation Commission, and on the establish-
ment of an ad hoc Cybersecurity Coordination
Committee under the ICAO Council to coordinate all
initiatives related to aviation cyber security in ICAO.
next revision of the Global Aviation Security Plan submitted, this The new governance structure aims to ensure the
(GASeP), without forgetting the evolution of avi- convergence of all aviation cyber security initiatives
ation security oversight, and innovation in aviation 41st ICAO Assembly undertaken by the different expert groups in ICAO
security technologies and processes. All proposals into a unified aviation cyber security work pro-
made by States and participants at the Assembly, was a clear gramme, hence enhancing the accountability,
including those on security goals and targets, as transparency, efficiency and coordination of ICAO's
well as concrete and measurable indicators, will be reminder that work on these topics.
analysed and taken into account by the ICAO Sec-
retariat and the expert group in charge of preparing ICAO Strategic Digital transformation brings a lot of benefits, but
the revision of the global plan. This Assembly was also vulnerabilities and an increased exposure to
essential to ensure the broader consultation with Objective Security cyber attacks. Cyber security is an area where
all stakeholders, which will allow ICAO to define States have to invest, starting by developing a
global and shared strategic priorities in aviation and Facilitation is strong and sustainable cyber security culture.
security.
a priority for
Many proposals were shared by Member States
With regard to aviation cyber security, the past two
triennia were all about recognising the importance States.” and industry organisations during the Assembly,
and all of them will be considered by the newly
of addressing cyber threats against civil aviation
established Cybersecurity Panel, leading to more
through two successive Assembly resolutions and
in-depth work on the ICAO legal framework and
the adoption of the first Aviation Cybersecurity
to the publication of more guidance material to
Strategy underpinning ICAO’s vision for the global
further support States and stakeholders to address
aviation sector to be resilient to cyber attacks, safe
cyber security in civil aviation and implement
and secure, while continuing to innovate and grow.
their obligations linked to ICAO Standards and
In addition, ICAO further continued to urge States
Recommended Practices related to aviation cyber
to adopt and implement the Beijing Convention
security.
2010 (Convention on the Suppression of Unlawful
Acts Relating to International Civil Aviation) and the
Beijing Protocol 2010 (Protocol Supplementary to
the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful
Seizure of Aircraft) as means for deterrence by
criminalising cyber attacks against civil aviation,
and for prosecuting offenders.

The Assembly acknowledged the start of the tech-

nical work and the development of the ICAO
Cybersecurity Action Plan, which provides the foun-
dation for ICAO, States and stakeholders to work
together and proposes a series of principles,
© Yakobchuk Olena

ECAC NEWS #77 I Aviation security: challenges today, and solutions for the future I 13
 Security and facilitation outcomes of the 41st ICAO Assembly

Digital transformation brings a lot of benefits, but also

vulnerabilities and an increased exposure to cyber attacks.
Cyber security is an area where States have to invest, starting
by developing a strong and sustainable cyber security culture.

Answering the needs expressed during this Assem- several other global and regional initiatives were
bly, the 2023-2025 triennium will see the first ICAO established to enhance effective airspace risk
global and coordinated regional outreach activities management. However, considerable work remains
to promote a coordinated and cross-cutting ap- to further improve the safety and security of civil
proach to cyber security in civil aviation. aviation operations over or near conflict zones. As
such, in 2022 the ICAO Secretariat initiated a review
To protect air transport efficiently and sustainably, of the Risk Assessment Manual for Civil Aircraft Oper-
during this Assembly States reaffirmed ICAO’s glo- ations Over or Near Conflict Zones (Doc 10084).
bal leadership role in aviation security and sup-
ported raising the profile of aviation security within In conclusion, this ICAO Assembly was rich in ex-
the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coor- changes on the current global priorities and on
dination Compact framework, including through continuing to ensure an effective response to the
Sylvain Lefoyer has the provision of expertise to assist the Compact, the current and future security threats weighing on
been deputy director, UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and the UN an air transport sector in full reconstruction and
aviation security and Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (UNCTED) constant evolution. It was also key to reaffirming
facilitation in the Air in the implementation of the United Nations Global Member States’ need for civil aviation cyber secur-
Transport Bureau of ICAO Counter-Terrorism Strategy and relevant United ity, and defining the strategic directions of the
since 2017. He leads Nations Security Council resolutions. global technical framework for cyber security. In
teams in charge of
this respect, the 41st Session of the Assembly was
developing policies,
Standards and The Assembly also discussed developments relat- pivotal in allowing the entire global aviation com-
Recommended Practices ing to the risks posed to civil aviation by conflict munity to define together the future of aviation
(SARPs), conducting zones. In addition to the “Safer Skies Initiative”, security and cyber security for civil aviation.
audits and delivering
assistance and capacity
building in the areas of
aviation security, cyber
security, border security,
and facilitation.
Before ICAO, Sylvain’s
career spans 25 years in
the French ministry of
transports, covering
transport safety and
security in maritime
navigation, ground
transportation and air
navigation. He holds a
master’s degree in
electronics from Paris
University and a master’s
degree in public
management from École
des Ponts ParisTech.
© sdecoret

14 I ECAC NEWS #77 I Aviation security: challenges today, and solutions for the future
Capacity-building
programmes in Europe
and around the world

ECAC NEWS #77 I 15

 Capacity-building programmes in Europe and around the world

Best practices in designing and delivering

capacity-building activities
The ECAC Aviation Security Capacity-Building Programme (“the Programme”) has been designed to support ECAC Member States in
implementing and overseeing aviation security measures, and to further enhance their work in aviation security by sharing best
practices, training and tools with them. The activities offered under the Programme aim to provide Member States with advice and
technical expertise as well as to further enhance national experts’ knowledge, skills and competencies in key aviation security areas.
ECAC’s experience in designing and delivering capacity-building activities will be reviewed in this article.

Analyse and prioritise Adapt and be flexible

Due to limited resources, we need to prioritise our Instead of suspending the implementation of the
tasks properly. Continuous analysis of Member Programme during the pandemic, ECAC adapted it
States’ needs in capacity building is the basis for to new circumstances and continued to support
defining priorities and implementing the Pro- Member States. This was mainly done by devel-
gramme in an effective way. Applying such an oping and delivering several new online training
approach allows us to identify gaps in capacity courses and webinars. It should be noted that we
building among Member States and focus on the differentiate between “webinar” and “online train-
development and delivery of the capacity-building ing course”.
activities that are actually required. The results of
the analysis inform the design of capacity-building Best Practices for National Auditors – Cyber Secur-
activities, the development of an annual plan for ity (basic) was the first online course developed and
organising the activities, and contribute to the effi- validated by the ECAC Secretariat in February 2021.
cient use of available resources. For example, in Another new online course on Best Practices for
2020 ECAC identified a gap between those Member Drafting Technical Specifications for Security
States with technical expertise relating to security Equipment was successfully validated in March
equipment and those Member States that did not 2021. Moreover, the content of the existing Basic
ARTEM MELNYK have it. Priority was therefore given to developing Aviation Security Training course was updated and
ECAC Aviation Security technical expertise among Member States. As a adapted to deliver online. These activities are con-
Capacity-Building Specialist result, two new interconnected training courses sidered as online training courses (not webinars).
entitled Best Practices for Drafting Technical Spec- When delivering these courses, we ensure that all
ifications for Security Equipment, and CEP Aware- participants are actively involved in the training
ness Training were developed and validated by the process. This is achieved by limiting the number of
ECAC Secretariat in 2021. participants in a virtual room (usually up to eight
people), ensuring interaction between the instruc-
Current and emerging threats to aviation and tors and the participants, conducting several virtual
current challenges should be considered when activities and discussions, both individual and
defining priorities for developing and conducting in sub-groups with the active involvement of all
capacity-building activities. In this regard, the im- participants.
pact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aviation security
and common challenges relating to the recovery To support Member States in establishing and
from the pandemic and return to normal operations improving security culture and addressing the risks
were also carefully analysed and considered by the of insiders in aviation, more than ten webinars on
ECAC Secretariat when developing and delivering insider threat and security culture were organised
capacity-building activities in 2021-2022. Attention in 2021. When developing the webinars, we tried to
was paid to supporting Member States in devel- think outside the “aviation security box”. As a result,
oping security culture, addressing insider and cyber the webinars were open not only to security
threats effectively, and using a risk-based approach. experts, but to non-security personnel as well, i.e.
High priority was given to improving national audi- human resources (HR) managers and specialists
tors’ skills and knowledge in inspecting/auditing from the appropriate authorities and the industry.
the implementation of security measures, and their This contributed to promoting awareness and good
competencies in conducting covert tests in various practices on how to address insider risks. Moreover,
domains of aviation security, in order to support HR specialists acquired an understanding of in-
Member States in reinforcing their security over- siders from a security context, and how they could
sight regimes. contribute to insider risk mitigation.

16 I ECAC NEWS #77 I Capacity-building programmes in Europe and around the world
 Best practices in designing and delivering capacity-building activities

For the first time, ECAC organised an online work- experience of the participants and fosters the
shop on security culture in April 2021. It is worth integration of new and improved competencies
noting that the virtual workshop comprised several into their previous experience.
virtual activities and discussions in separate virtual • Implement – This phase focuses on delivery of
rooms. Such an interaction was very much appreci- the activity. After finalising the material, the Sec-
ated by the participants and significantly con- retariat organises the pilot activity to evaluate it,
tributed to achieving the objectives. including the content and quality of the material,
classroom and practical activities, pace and tim-
Various videoconferencing tools may be used to ing, etc. Participants’ and instructors’ feedback
conduct such activities. Their capabilities and limi- is crucial in the validation process. When deliver-
tations (such as establishing breakout rooms) ing training courses, both in person and online,
should be considered when selecting the most ap- the Secretariat limits the number of people in a
propriate tool. Particular attention should be paid training room (usually up to eight). This is a fac-
to security features and protection of security-sen- tor that contributes to the effectiveness of the
sitive information. Consideration should also be training process. It ensures that all participants
given to the preparation phase of an online activity, can be actively involved in the process, including

“
including preparing the training schedule, setting discussions and practical activities. Another
up the training sessions, briefing trainees and ac- good practice is the participation as instructors
cessing the training content. The optimal structure THE APPROACH or moderators of “external” security experts from
is to deliver only one two-to-three-hour session per BEING APPLIED BY ECAC Member States with specific expertise in
day, with a few short breaks. various capacity-building activities. This con-
THE SECRETARIAT tributes to sharing of knowledge, experience and
Ensure effectiveness best practices among ECAC Member States, as
CONTAINS well as to the professional development of these
When designing a new capacity-building activity, experts.
it is key to ensure that the activity will be effective,
i.e. it will produce a necessary effect on the audi-
5 PHASES. • Evaluate – This phase aims to evaluate the
effectiveness of the activity and improve the ma-
ence. It is therefore important to apply a systematic terial, activities and/or instructor’s performance,

”
approach to designing the capacity-building activ- as appropriate. Participants’ and instructors’
ities. Such an approach should emphasise the im- feedback on the activity is one of the key sources
portance of clearly defining the learning objectives of information being used by the Secretariat to
and performance criteria to measure whether the evaluate the activity. For that purpose, detailed
objectives have been achieved. The approach being feedback forms are developed and used to
applied by the Secretariat contains five phases: evaluate achievement of the objectives, overall
• Analyse – The required tasks and competencies, organisation and conduct of the course, quality
i.e. knowledge, skills and abilities, are determined of the material and activities, as well as the in-
and learning objectives are formulated. It is im- structors’ performance. All feedback forms are
portant to clearly define a target audience for the carefully analysed by the Secretariat. The results
activity to ensure that the people participating in of the analysis serve as a basis for continuous
a training course or a workshop will be able to review and improvement of the capacity-build-
apply the acquired knowledge and skills (e.g. na- ing activities.
tional auditors, persons involved in certification
of security equipment, risk assessors).
• Design – A blueprint for the activity is estab-
lished, including relevant instructional units
(modules) and learning objectives for each mod- Analyse
ule/lesson.
• Develop – The blueprint is put into practice: a
PowerPoint presentation for each module is
prepared together with relevant handouts (if
needed). It is crucial that after its validation, the
activity will be delivered by various instructors in
a consistent way. Therefore, detailed speaking Evaluate Design
notes are prepped by the Secretariat for each
module. As good practice, different training
methods are combined, such as theoretical train-
ing, group discussions, individual and group
table-top activities (for example, review and
assessment of various security scenarios) and
practical exercises (at an airport, facilities of a
regulated agent…). Attention should be paid to Implement Develop
the practical aspects of the activity. It is impor-
tant that the activity deals with practical issues
and challenges, activates prior knowledge and

ECAC NEWS #77 I Capacity-building programmes in Europe and around the world I 17
 Best practices in designing and delivering capacity-building activities

What is an act
of unlawful interference
against civil aviation?

Aviation Security
Basic Training – activity

Do not forget about efficiency

In addition to focusing on the effectiveness of the • Online activities: having analysed the results of
activities, we pay attention to the efficiency of the the activities organised during the pandemic, we
Programme. It is worth noting that efficiency is revealed that certain capacity-building activities,
achievable by carefully considering appropriate i.e. those that do not include practical activities
approaches that do ensure efficiency of the activ- and do not require in-person interactions, may
ities without impacting their quality. Here are some be delivered online only, even in the post pan-
good practices that can increase the efficiency of demic period. For example, ECAC Basic Aviation
the capacity-building activities: Security Training has been delivered only online
• Effective planning and training material: ensur- since January 2021.
ing that sufficient time and resources go into the • “Blended” delivery of activities: another good
planning process and the development phase practice to consider is the use of the so-called
Artem Melnyk joined can result in an overall saving on the activity “blended” approach, combining both online and
the ECAC Secretariat as during the delivery phase. on-site training methods. A good example of the
aviation security • Focus on practical elements: this is a key pillar use of this approach is a new ECAC training
capacity-building of the ECAC Capacity-Building Programme. course on cyber security in aviation. It comprises
specialist in November Special focus is given to sharing practical best a three-day theoretical training course delivered
2020. In this position, by videoconference, and a three-day on-site
practices and to participants acquiring not only
he is responsible for
theoretical knowledge but also practical com- part focusing on the practical aspects of inspec-
developing and
implementing the ECAC petencies, including abilities to apply the ac- ting/auditing the cyber security measures of an
Aviation Security Audit quired knowledge and skills when performing airport operator or an air carrier.
and Capacity-Building the assigned tasks.
Programmes. He has
been working in aviation
security since February
2012 starting as a
screener at Kyiv Airport
and later as a national
auditor and head of the
Analytical Division,
AVSEC Department of
the Ukrainian CAA.

Best Practices for

National Auditors-1 –
practical activity
at an airport

18 I ECAC NEWS #77 I Capacity-building programmes in Europe and around the world
 Capacity-building programmes in Europe and around the world

CASE II: Capacity building during

the COVID crisis
Capacity building has long been an important part of ECAC’s aviation security work. Since 2004, a capacity-building programme for the
benefit of ECAC’s own Member States has been in place, and this programme has developed to meet the changing circumstances, whether
developments in threat or greater stringency of aviation security obligations, whether in Europe or at a global level.

T his work took an outward turn in November

2015 when the Civil Aviation Security in Africa
and the Arabian Peninsula (CASE) Project was As the sector went into an all-encompassing
launched. This programme, funded by the Euro-
pean Union and implemented by a special project crisis, an immediate rethink was needed.
team established in ECAC, meant that ECAC was
now delivering capacity building outside the Euro-
pean region, reflecting the need to enable as many
States as possible to respond effectively to increas- In this context, there was expected to be a high
ingly rapid developments in the threat and the degree of continuity between the two projects. The
measures required to address it. first CASE project had generated a good deal of
knowledge about Partner States’ needs, and in
Following the success of the CASE Project, which many cases there were activities planned for the
delivered on-site activities in 38 Partner States and early stages of CASE II that would follow naturally
enabled the participation of 21 more States in from the improvements already made in the first
regional workshops, the successor project, Civil Avi- project.
ation Security in Africa, the Middle East and Asia
(CASE II), was launched in 2020. The reality turned out to be somewhat different.
Among the many dramatic effects of the COVID-19
The intention was that CASE II would draw on the pandemic, the near impossibility of conducting
lessons learned from its predecessor project: it State-to-State on-site activities, combined with the
would focus on State-to-State on-site capacity- diversion of resources within aviation authorities as
building activities, which has been found to be the the sector went into an all-encompassing crisis,
most effective type of activity; it would take a more meant that an immediate rethink was needed. The
organised approach to the planning and monitor- first CASE project was brought to an end slightly
ing of activities in individual Partner States, based earlier than planned, with three activities having to MARK RODMELL
on agreed plans of action; it would expand its geo- be abandoned. And CASE II, launched with a kick- Deputy Executive Secretary,
graphical scope to the rest of Asia; and it would off meeting in October 2020, reassessed its delivery European Civil Aviation
carry out certain partnership activities with indus- plans in the face of unprecedented disruption and Conference, and CASE II
try bodies. uncertainty. Project Director

ECAC NEWS #77 I Capacity-building programmes in Europe and around the world I 19
 CASE II: Capacity building during the COVID crisis

We hope this experience will provide lessons

that will have importance for other capacity-building
programmes across aviation domains.

The first thing CASE II did was to adapt its approach Some of the problems created by the pandemic
to delivery to meet the circumstances. Recruitment were irreversible, and could not be dealt with simply
of the project team was slowed down, there being by a return to old ways. Levels of activity had
no purpose to recruiting experts to travel across the remained low in the face of uncertainty and false
world delivering training activities when travel was dawns, and continuity with the activities of the first

“
Some of the
in effect impossible. A number of activities were
developed specifically to be delivered online, with
some new thinking about what could and could not
CASE project had been lost in many cases, either
through the passage of time or as a result of per-
sonnel being transferred to other duties to deal with
problems created be achieved in the face of travel restrictions, and the consequences of the pandemic. There was not
how best to harness the improvements in videocon- the slightest possibility of the project being able to
by the pandemic ferencing platforms that became available as deliver the scale of activities originally planned: not
working methods everywhere changed in the face simply because of the time already lost, but be-
were irreversible, of the pandemic. cause the fear of disruption through resumption
of travel restrictions led to a cautious approach
and could not be The project learned a number of things from this among some in committing to activities. In particu-
experience. Some foundational training activities lar, the persistence of travel restrictions on routes
dealt with simply were quite suitable for online delivery, as they con- in the Asia-Pacific region creates continuing prac-
sisted of giving a theoretical grounding that could tical issues.
by a return to old be delivered almost as well in the virtual classroom
as in person. Online activities could be organised The project aims to rise to this challenge. It has a
ways. ” quickly and at low cost, with no physical limit to the new project manager and has recruited new team
numbers of participants. Large regional workshops members to deliver in-person activities and to
could be organised online, with simultaneous manage the financial and administrative arrange-
breakout sessions and interpretation into multiple ments around the necessary travel. It is delivering
languages, using technology that was now avail- training on-site on a bilateral basis, but also using
able to all. large regional workshops with ECAC’s sister re-
gional organisations to renew contacts with several
However, this approach had its limitations. To take Partner States at once. It has adapted some of its
an example: in delivering capacity building on activities to take account of the discontinuity, for
landside security, modules on the essential con- instance by combining new training with a “re-
cepts and theoretical approaches to risk assess- fresher” of training delivered before the pandemic.
ment could indeed be delivered online. But given It is negotiating with the European Union (and with
Mark Rodmell joined the different physical environments in airports the support of the sister regional organisations) a
ECAC in December 2020 around the world, on-site work was still needed to one-year no-cost extension to the project to enable
as the deputy executive turn this theoretical grounding into practical skills. it to deliver a volume of activities along the lines
secretary. In this role, he The difficulties experienced by people in all areas originally planned. And it is now extending its ac-
manages and oversees of business in maintaining focus and effectiveness tivities to Asia with training activities being planned
the efficient and effective in long online meetings were amplified in trying to in three central Asian countries and a regional
delivery of the ECAC work
deliver outcome-based training in virtual settings. workshop in Asia Pacific as a start to work in this
programme in all
domains of activity of
region.
the organisation. He There were some benefits from the experience. New
prepares policy advice approaches to combining online and on-site activ- At the end of 2022, 62 activities had been delivered
and strategic options for ity were taken in delivery of activities related to, for with the participation of 60 Partner States and
the executive secretary instance, covert and overt testing, and it is hoped 20 hosting countries. But as well as delivering the
and for senior level that these will enable more flexible and lower-cost activities planned, the project continues to learn
meetings, and promotes means of delivering capacity building in the future. from the difficulties experienced in its early stages.
ECAC activity in
But the resumption of travel, and the ability to We hope this experience will provide lessons that
international forums.
deliver activities in the way originally planned, pro- will have importance for other capacity-building
He also acts as the
project director for the vided a great sense of relief to the project as it programmes across aviation domains. If so, then
CASE II Project. geared itself up to another set of changes to its perhaps, in spite of early setbacks, the project’s leg-
working methods. acy may go even beyond its original vision.

20 I ECAC NEWS #77 I Capacity-building programmes in Europe and around the world
 Capacity-building programmes in Europe and around the world

Participants in the ACAO, AFCAC, ECAC joint workshop on innovation

and cyber security, Marrakesh, 5-7 September 2022

The CASE II experience:

implementing an interregional workshop
Capacity building and aviation security are two important components of a comprehensive aviation security system.
As part of the CASE II Project providing capacity-building opportunities to Partner States, the organisation of workshops (regional
or interregional) falls under the “awareness raising activities” category and focuses on threats to civil aviation.

F rom 5 to 7 September 2022, ECAC (through the

EU-funded CASE II Project), the Arab Civil
Aviation Organization (ACAO) and the African Civil
The topics discussed by the 21 speakers – subject-
matter experts from ECAC (CASE II Project Team,
Executive Secretary, the United Kingdom), AFCAC
Aviation Commission (AFCAC) co-organised a work- and ACAO Member States (Egypt, Lebanon, Mo-
shop on “innovation and cyber security” in Marra- rocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates),
kesh, Morocco. This was the first interregional the Cooperative Aviation Security Programme
in-country workshop to be organised within the Middle East as well as from the United States’
framework of the CASE II Project and jointly organ- Transportation Security Administration (TSA), ICAO,
ised with sister organisations. United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT)
and industry stakeholders – were varied though all
The workshop was opened by high-level officials revolved around the concept of a “smart airport”,
from the host country and the organisers: one in which security technologies intersect seam-
Mohammed Abdeljalil, Minister of Transport and
lessly with operating staff to create a system which
Logistics, Morocco, Abdennebi Manar, ACAO Director
is both resilient and proactive in the face of virtual
General, Adefunke Adeyemi, AFCAC Secretary
threats. HANAN ACHAHBOUN
General, and Patricia Reverdy, Executive Secretary
of ECAC. Project Manager,
More precisely, the following topics were discussed
ECAC CASE II Project
A dedicated website was created by ACAO where all across five sessions:
the information on the workshop can be found: • new technologies and concepts in aviation se-
https://acao.org.ma/ics/. curity, and the current challenges affecting rapid
development and possible solutions, as well as
To realise this first workshop, the project team the cooperation among governments, industry
worked closely with AFCAC and ACAO to bring and researchers to promote innovation in avi-
together 110 participants from 46 Partner States ation security;
from Africa and the Middle East to discuss various • the implementation of smart aviation security
topics in the domain of innovation and cyber secur- systems and how to assist humans as they
ity in the context of aviation security. operate these systems;

ECAC NEWS #77 I Capacity-building programmes in Europe and around the world I 21
 The CASE II experience: implementing an interregional workshop

Workshop session,
Marrakesh,
5-7 September 2022

• keys and challenges for regulators and industry Indeed, capacity building – and interregional work-
to improve emerging technology and processes, shops in particular – in aviation security can have
and to implement fully integrated and smart avi- a positive impact on aviation safety and security.
ation security systems; This kind of workshop provides a platform for coun-
• how to discover and mitigate cyber security in tries to exchanges ideas, share best practices and

“
Finally, capacity
the general context of civil aviation;
• cyber threats and risks in air navigation systems,
particularly the necessity for, and best practices
in, capacity-building training for airport staff to
lessons learned in aviation security, as well as to
develop strategies to address common challenges.
It also helps to build relationships between coun-
tries and regions, which can lead to increased co-
building and increase readiness and vigilance against cyber operation and collaboration in the field of aviation
regional workshops threats. security. Additionally, these workshops can help to
raise awareness of the importance of aviation
can help to ensure Simultaneous interpretation in Arabic, English and security and can provide a forum for countries to
French was available to ensure all the attendees discuss and develop strategies to address emerg-
that countries have could understand. ing threats.

the necessary The content (drafting the agenda, search for and Finally, capacity building and regional workshops
deployment of moderator and speakers, distribu- can help to ensure that countries have the necess-
resources and tion of the outcomes) and all the logistics, including ary resources and expertise to effectively imple-
on-site, were managed by the CASE II Project team, ment aviation security measures and be better
expertise to effec- ACAO and AFCAC. prepared to respond to threats and mitigate risks.

tively implement In addition to presentations, the workshop included From the project’s perspective, this interregional
breakout sessions, Q&A sessions and tours de table workshop was a great opportunity to strengthen
aviation security to ensure interactivity. regional networks and to engage in discussions
measures and be
better prepared to
respond to threats
and mitigate
risks.”

Side meeting
of co-organiser
representatives
(Moroccan Ministry
of Transport, ACAO,
AFCAC, ECAC and TSA)

22 I ECAC NEWS #77 I Capacity-building programmes in Europe and around the world
 The CASE II experience: implementing an interregional workshop

View from a sponsor

The European Union (EU) is a global player in security. In the EU Service for Foreign Policy Instru-
ments (FPI), we support partners’ efforts to address global, transregional and emerging threats in
line with agreed goals and principles set out in the EU’s counter-terrorism policy, by addressing its
root causes and supporting Partner Countries to develop adequate responses. To address these
different threats, we have developed thematic facilities that mutually support actions and address
a variety of issues in countering terrorism and preventing/countering violent extremism. These are
flexible and provide demand-driven, tailor-made support to Partner Countries at different levels
(anticipation, prevention, protection and response) to enhance their capacities to address terrorism
from a rule-of-law perspective. Each facility has a global or transregional scope and offers access
to a range of specific activities. CASE II is one of our EU-funded global facilities that contribute to
the fight against the evolving threat of terrorism, as stated in the EU’s Counter-Terrorism Agenda
(December 2020). It is a point of reference for more secure civil aviation security regimes in Partner
States to counter the threat that terrorism poses to civil aviation. Civil aviation remains a target for
Nathalie Pauwels, terrorist groups worldwide. It is therefore important for all airports to use the most up-to-date de-
Head of Unit Stability tection technologies and receive tailored capacity building to counter that threat. ECAC has been
and Peace - Global and
implementing the CASE Project since 2015 and is a longstanding partner for the EU, being the only
Transregional Threats,
Service for Foreign
body of its type able to mobilise the expertise from its Member States and facilitate sharing of knowl-
Policy Instruments / edge between national experts in the Partner Countries and experts from ECAC Member States.
European Commission.

with potential new Partner States, as their desig- Given the feedback received from the participants,
nated participants turned out to be the relevant of- this first tripartite collaboration for CASE II was Hanan Achahboun
ficials to talk to about possible capacity-building a success and a solid foundation for future joined the ECAC CASE II
Project as project
activities to be received or hosted by their respect- collaboration. Other interregional and regional
manager on 1 June 2022.
ive countries. This is notably the case for Gabon, workshops are scheduled for the remaining imple- She holds a master’s
Madagascar, Tunisia and the UAE. mentation period of the CASE II Project, responding degree in political
to an increasing demand from Partner States to sciences and has
This partnership also helped to leverage resources have more workshops on specific topics related to 10 years of experience
and expertise and is an effective way to achieve aviation security. in project management
greater impact and results. both at national and
international levels, with
a focus on international
technical cooperation in
the security and defence
sector for the past five
View from a partner years. Hanan will be
responsible for leading,
managing and
The CASE II Project is assisting AFCAC Member States in achieving effective coordinating the project.
aviation security outcomes and sustainable implementation. The project has
assisted 94% of the AFCAC Member States – which is an absolute record – sup-
porting the continent in ensuring compliance with international conventions,
ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and providing guidance
material related to aviation security to enhance its aviation security capabilities.
The project’s coordination with AFCAC is leading to successful implementation
of the activities in line with States’ real needs. This will enhance aviation se-
curity and operations and ensure effective implementation issues identified
during Universal Security Audit Programme (USAP) audits and other evalu-
ations are addressed in accordance with the ICAO Global Aviation Security
Plan's aspirational targets and the Windhoek Declaration and Targets.

Capacity-building initiatives, activities and assistance are critical to address

aviation security deficiencies and increase the effectiveness of the aviation
security system. The major challenges to overcome to achieve effective imple-
mentation of these initiatives are the long-term commitment of the benefici- Jamel Dridi,
aries, and a willingness to seek the root cause of any deficiency, along with Aviation Security and
Facilitation Expert,
openness to changing security culture and embracing new technologies.
African Civil Aviation
Commission

ECAC NEWS #77 I Capacity-building programmes in Europe and around the world I 23
 Capacity-building programmes in Europe and around the world

My experience as a CASE II Project secondee

Capacity building is one of the core objectives of the ECAC CASE II Project, as it was for the first CASE project. Following this principle,
many of the decisions and actions within the project are taken, and one of these decisions was to promote a secondment position for an
expert from an ECAC Member State.

I heard about the secondment opportunity

through my superiors in the Spanish Civil Avi-
ation Authority (AESA), and the company I worked
One of the principles of the project is to deliver train-
ing activities on the ground. Although online train-
ing was also provided, I was able, through my
for, SENASA, which provides technical support to participation in the missions, to experience first-
AESA. I had been developing my career as a na- hand the difference between the two formats. How
tional civil aviation security auditor for a few years, we engaged with the participants on-site and the
taking on more responsibilities as I gained valuable relationships created during these short periods of
experience – which included participating as Span- time allowed them to gain much more from the
ish representative in some of ECAC’s working courses. But not only this; the CASE II experts were
groups. Immediately upon reading the offer it ap- also able to analyse and see the reality of the
pealed to me and seemed a wonderful opportunity situation in the Partner State in relation to the topic,
to develop my career working on an international to thus focus their explanations, and to suggest
project. further activities to address the weak points ident-
ified.
The CASE II Project combines some characteristics
that I found particularly engaging; these included In our activities in the Partner States, we faced
MIGUEL MARTÍN the possibility to share the knowledge I had gained many different realities in terms of levels of knowl-
Former CASE II Project secondee, in previous years with colleagues in the industry edge and resources. However, on all occasions we
AVSEC National Auditor, Aviation who may not have had the same opportunities to were received with enthusiasm and the desire
experience them. The chance to explore and en- to learn. In general, the aviation industry in these
Safety and Security Agency
hance my own skills as an instructor in conditions countries is not as developed as it can be in many
(AESA), Spain
very different to the ones I was used to was also of the ECAC Member States. Typically, we en-
something that I wanted to be exposed to. countered airports that were not busy, with just one
or two international airports in the country. This
Apart from the aspects related to the job itself, the means there is no room for complex civil aviation
opportunity to come and live in a city like Paris, to organisational set-ups, and that the people in
work alongside such skilled colleagues from other charge are often not exposed to a wide variety of
countries, and to experience many cultures during operations, procedures, technology, etc. In that
missions was tremendously enriching from a per- sense, the CASE II Project courses have a direct
sonal point of view. impact on the people carrying out oversight, devel-
oping security requirements, or even applying se-
During the months I spent as part of the CASE II curity measures. It is the perfect occasion to share
team, we were able to deliver training activities and with them the instructors’ experience, and other
workshops very efficiently considering how few of ways to address organisational problems. At the
us there were. The excellent coordination between same time, it allows them to gain confidence
us made this possible. On the subjects covered – all in their own developments when they realise, if
related to aviation security – the capacity increased that is the case, that the same thing is being done
as time went on as the team developed more and somewhere else with a positive outcome.
more material.
To summarise my contribution as an instructor, it
began very much at the start of my participation

“
In that sense, the CASE II Project courses have
a direct impact on the people carrying out
in the project when I was selected to participate in
delivering the Best Practices for Covert Testing
course in Banjul, Gambia, from 17 to 20 January
2022. At that time, this presented a great challenge
for me as I had no experience delivering courses in
English and under such different conditions from
oversight, developing security requirements, or those I was used to. Through this course I felt my
even applying security measures.” confidence grow, and in part thanks to my col-
league Jae Tonkin, who was extraordinarily sup-
portive.

24 I ECAC NEWS #77 I Capacity-building programmes in Europe and around the world
 My experience as a CASE II Project secondee

After this first trip, I delivered several activities in

other countries over the next months, including
Botswana, Malawi and Uganda. Those missions
were extremely enriching not only because I was
exposed to new material but also because I part-
nered with other experts such as Nina Smith (from
the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority) and
Aleksandar Yankov, my CASE II colleague. Sharing
time and discussions with such well-prepared and
experienced colleagues is always an educational
experience.

My participation in the project included not only

being an instructor but also developing new train-
ing material. Making use of my previous experi-
ence, I created a new course, “Best Practices for The Gambia: Best Practices for Covert Testing course, January 2022
Security Equipment Inspection”, which I was able
to present in Botswana, Ghana and Namibia, and
Emerging Threats course. I also acted as a moder-
which received very positive feedback. In that re-
ator in the workshop on innovation and cyber
spect, my job at CASE II in Paris has been hugely
security held in Marrakesh in September 2022.
supported since the beginning by my colleagues
I ended my secondment delivering the Best Prac-
Jae [Tonkin], Aleksandar [Yankov], Jasna Gamber
tices for National Auditors course in Sierra Leone
and later by Hanan Achahboun. Being able to share
accompanied by an external expert, David
the various possible approaches with them at the
Williams, from the United Kingdom Civil Aviation
different phases of development allowed for very
Authority.
enriching exchanges of view and certainly made
the outcome of the activity much more valuable.
Overall, I believe the CASE II Project’s objective of
capacity building is being achieved. Without a
In the later stages of my participation in the project, Marrakesh: Interregional Seminar for
Innovation and Cyber Security, doubt from my side, as I have gained invaluable
I continued to develop course material, and in par-
September 2022 experience as an instructor, vastly improved knowl-
ticular a Best Practices in Identifying and Mitigating
edge about aviation security, and lots more con-
fidence in my skills and capacities. From the
Partner States’ point of view, I also believe that my
contribution to them was valuable as revealed
by the standardised feedback and confirmed in
conversations with some of the participants and
representatives. All in all, I am extremely thankful
for the opportunity and pleased to have made good
use of it.

Miguel Martín recently finished

his nine-month secondment from
the Spanish Aviation Safety and
Security Agency (AESA) to the
Uganda: Best Practices for Covert Testing, February 2022
CASE II Project. Since the
beginning of 2018 when he joined
AESA, Miguel has participated in
many aviation security oversight
activities as national auditor, as
well as representing Spain in the
ECAC Common Evaluation
Process for security equipment
Management Group and the ECAC
Technical Task Force. During his
period with the CASE II team, he
contributed to delivering and
developing capacity-building
activities in nine CASE II Partner
States in Africa.

Ghana: Best practices for security equipment inspection, June 2022

ECAC NEWS #77 I Capacity-building programmes in Europe and around the world I 25
 Aviation security
technology:
supporting future
resilience

26 I ECAC NEWS #77

 Aviation security technology: supporting future resilience
© artinspiring

The role of technology in civil aviation

security operations
This article endeavours to highlight the role and importance of technology in civil aviation security operations. A decent amount
of literature was reviewed to understand the subject, and the article will seek to emphasise how, where modern technology is used
in securing civil aviation operations, it will maximise the security benefits.
The article looks at the application of innovative technologies that will ease the flow of passengers and staff and overcome congestion
and delays. Screening passengers at airport security checkpoints is, generally, seen as one of the most stressful experiences for a
passenger. During this process, they may be required to remove their shoes and other belongings such as purse, belt, metallic money
and items, jewellery, mobile phones, etc. for inspection and clearance. This process results in the formation of queues, which results
in delay, thus making passengers impatient, stressed and anxious. This requirement has become all the more relevant and important
in view of the problems encountered because of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic forced the aviation industry to
seek to restore confidence in air transport and increase operational efficiency by having in place processes to facilitate the safe and
smooth flow of both originating and transfer passengers at airports.

Introduction
Since the events of 11 September 2001 in the United The purpose of this article is to highlight the role
States, aviation security has become one of the technology plays in civil aviation security oper-
most important issues today confronting civil avi- ations. The International Civil Aviation Organization
ation operations globally. This particular event has (ICAO) (1), a specialised agency of the United Nations
radically enlarged the boundaries of civil aviation (UN), has been revising and revisiting threats to civil
in general and aviation security in particular. The aviation operations from time to time. In doing so,
post 9/11 scenario necessitated the deployment of it has developed a mechanism whereby threat to
state-of-the-art airport security systems in terms civil aviation security is examined and updated/
of technology, equipment and personnel. This was revised on a regular basis. This is done by means HAMAD SALEM AL MUHAIRI
important and essential to regain trust in civil avi- of revising the “ICAO Risk Context Statement” (2). The Assistant Director General,
ation, as well as to increase the confidence of the enormous growth experienced by civil aviation be- Aviation Security Affairs Sector,
travelling public. fore the COVID-19 pandemic is well known. In order General Civil Aviation Authority of
to aid and assist the growth of civil aviation oper- the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
It is a known fact that the main accountability of ations globally, it is prudent to employ appropriate
the civil aviation industry is to protect civil aviation aviation security measures and technology that
operations against terrorism and other acts of un- will facilitate and sustain its growth.
lawful interference. This was, indeed, a difficult
mandate since it had to delicately balance aviation
security and facilitation requirements.

ECAC NEWS #77 I Aviation security technology: supporting future resilience I 27

 The role of technology in civil aviation security operations

Some of the areas of importance as well as sensi- (iii) use of biometrics in detecting possible offenders
tivity that come to mind are as follows: and easing the processing of passengers and
(i) security screening of passengers and staff; staff through an aviation security screening
(ii) easing out crowding or congestion at security checkpoint, etc.
checkpoint by developing and using new tech-
nology; Some examples of the above are as follows:
(iii) reducing the number of false alarms at screen- (i) Passenger screening technologies: The in-
ing checkpoints; crease in threat to aviation security from non-
(iv) deployment of explosive detection technology metallic weapons and explosives has led to
for screening passengers and staff at passen- research in the development of new screening
ger and staff screening checkpoints;
technologies in respect of passengers, which
(v) possibility of introducing artificial intelligence
includes techniques for detecting chemical
(AI) for aviation security purposes; etc.
traces and imaging methods that can be seen

“
There is a critical
Even the ICAO Global Aviation Security Plan, also
known as GASeP, encourages ICAO Member States
to give priority to, and incorporate, innovation and
through clothing.
(ii) A system to profile a passenger: Some airlines
have quite often been targeted by terrorists.
One such airline has developed a detailed pro-
requirement technology for the development of aviation secur-
filing programme that requires inspecting all
ity. One of the five priority outcomes of ICAO’s
types of baggage as well as interviewing all
to consider GASeP is to improve technological resources and
passengers face to face by security personnel.
foster innovation. Under this plan, ICAO Member
investment in States are advised and encouraged to promote This airline makes it a point to identify passen-
innovative techniques and technologies. (3) gers who could be a threat to its security rather
technology for than to detect prohibited items that could be
Issues related to aviation security are very peculiar used to hijack or destroy an aircraft.
aviation security in nature and need to evolve on a regular basis to (iii) Imaging technologies: There are quite a few
deter/desist terrorists from committing acts of un- technologies available that can detect metallic
purposes along lawful interference, and to use technology to facili- as well as non-metallic weapons, explosives
tate the movement of passengers at an airport with and their component parts. This technology in-
with other minimum difficulty, delay and disruption. Hence, volves no physical contact with the passenger
there is a critical requirement to consider invest- and can be used for screening passengers,
prevalent ment in technology for aviation security purposes staff, visitors, etc.
along with other prevalent processes and proce-
processes and dures that are already in place.
(iv) Millimeter-wave imaging technology: This
technology operates as a range radar system;
procedures that This combination of using state-of-the-art technol-
the system directs a narrow beam of milli-
meter wavelength energy at a target and
are already in ogy along with the relevant measures and proce-
detects the reflected rays. The beam is exam-
dures required to safeguard civil aviation processes
ined from head to toe of a passenger or staff
place.” against acts of unlawful interference can simplify
member to produce an image of the subject.
and facilitate the development of a multilayered
and robust aviation security system. This tool uses low-energy, low-intensity x-rays
revealed from the subject to produce an image.
This article seeks to review the importance of tech- Images generated by this technology are then
nology in protecting civil aviation from acts of construed to identify the presence of matter
unlawful interference, with special reference to the both metallic and non-metallic that may be
following: concealed under the clothing of a passenger or
(i) use of technology for screening passengers, a staff member.
staff, cargo, catering and other items carried (v) Technology to detect trace emitted by explos-
on board an aircraft and to reduce the rate of ives: This technology is also known as trace
false alarms; detection technology. This is done by chemical
(ii) methods to increase aviation security screen- identification of explosive material or vapour
ing capacity; containing explosive material.

28 I ECAC NEWS #77 I Aviation security technology: supporting future resilience

 The role of technology in civil aviation security operations

Modern and large airports across the globe that

handle substantial passenger and cargo volumes
require modern and state-of-the-art technology,
The importance of technology in the
development of civil aviation security aviation security systems, processes and
Also, taking into consideration the effect of the
COVID-19 pandemic on civil aviation operations, it
procedures, as well as well-trained and better-
would be incorrect to state that the pandemic did equipped aviation security personnel.
not have an impact on civil aviation security at both
airport and aircraft operator levels. It was interest-
ing to note how civil aviation security coped with
and addressed these unexpected challenges. It is
also worth noting how the development of technol- of unlawful interference but indirectly as to how to
ogy assisted and played an important role in over- protect civil aviation in view of the challenges posed
coming the challenges in this field, especially in by the imposition of COVID-19 restrictions. It is an
areas of screening passengers, staff, cargo and irrefutable fact that the COVID-19 pandemic posed
mail. very serious challenges to aviation security officers
in their ability to carry out their duties effectively
It will be pertinent to mention the second report and efficiently.
entitled Progress Toward Objectives, produced by
the Committee on Assessment of Technologies Significance of technology in civil aviation
Deployed to Improve Aviation Security, the National security
Advisory Board in the United States (Division on En-
gineering and Physical Sciences, National Research In aviation security, the significance of technology
Council). This committee concluded that aviation cannot be overemphasised or underestimated. The
security is one of the most important and vital threat to civil aviation is prevalent globally and is
issues confronting not only the United States but likely to remain the same in the unforeseeable fu-
the world in general. The events of 9/11 resulted in ture too. It is a source of major concern to aviation
the catastrophic loss of human life and colossal security regulators, airport operators, aircraft op-
damage to property. This incident also radically ex- erators and other stakeholders around the world.
tended the boundaries of the types of action that Hence, it has become increasingly important for
could be employed against civil aviation oper- these entities to devise unique ways and means to
ations. The necessity to safeguard and guarantee enhance aviation security. According to Kruszka,
7
6

public safety and instil confidence amongst the pe

rig Kló sak and Muzolf (2019) (5), miscreants, terrorists,
©
general public would require the deployment of avi- criminals, etc. have demonstrated from time to time
ation security systems at airports that could their capability and intent to target civil aviation op-
counter these latest threats to civil aviation. This erations, and the seriousness as well as the mag-
effort would require the deployment of state-of- nitude of the threat they pose to the civil aviation
the-art technology along with qualified and trained industry in order to achieve their sinister motives.
personnel (4). The COVID-19 pandemic, no doubt, This necessitates aviation security stakeholders to
also posed a similar challenge to civil aviation se- use the latest state-of-the-art and sophisticated
curity internationally, if not directly in terms of acts technologies to counter such threats, especially at
a time when the aviation industry has become so
important and critical in facilitating movement of
cargo, trade, travel and tourism.

As far as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is con-

cerned, Dubai International Airport is continuously
in the process of updating, adapting and adopting
the latest technologies to process the movement of
passengers in the minimum time without compro-
mising aviation security and in accordance with the
best practices practised globally at major inter-
national airports in order to enhance and enrich the
passenger’s feeling and experience. In the words of
Major General Pilot Ahmed Bin Thani, Assistant
© ElizaLIV

ECAC NEWS #77 I Aviation security technology: supporting future resilience I 29

 The role of technology in civil aviation security operations

© rawpixel
developed by Abu Dhabi Airports in collaboration
with a company in order to streamline various air-
port processes such as, but not limited to, check-in
operations, passenger arrival and departure times,
etc. In this trial, selected passengers travelling with
Etihad Airways were notified about the optimal
time to arrive at the airport, thus saving them time
and allowing aviation security personnel and other
operational personnel at Abu Dhabi Airport enough
time to undertake their aviation security and
General Commander for Ports Affairs at Dubai operational responsibilities effectively and effi-
Police, “Airport security technology is a key part of ciently. This process was also meant to basically
airport management and operation. Dubai Airport minimise queuing and ensure social distancing at
places it at the top of their priorities to provide a the airport. (7)
safe and smooth travel experience for more than
Hamad Salem Al seven million passengers who use it every month.”
Muhairi is the assistant Conclusion
director general, Aviation He also stated that “While airports and airlines were
Security Affairs Sector in looking for new ways to simplify the travel experi- Air transport is an important player in the world
the General Civil Aviation ence and enhance passenger reception and bag- today. It will not be out of place to state that without
Authority of the United
Arab Emirates (UAE). gage handling, smart technologies and solutions the air transport industry, rapid economic growth
He has 23 years of such as biometrics and automated checkpoints and development may not be possible. The air
experience in the field of have already begun to redefine the airport experi- transport industry is one of the enablers of busi-
civil aviation security,
facilitation and the safe
ence around the world. Dubai Airport has no limits ness and development. Air transport has enabled
transport of dangerous to invest in deploying the best technology to the world to become a global village. It facilitates
goods by air. enhance and ensure a safe and comfortable travel the integration of the global economy and provides
He is a member of the experience for its passengers. Dubai is moving vital connectivity at all levels, such as national, re-
ICAO Aviation Security towards more innovation in smart solutions to gional or international. This aviation industry facili-
Panel and the Dangerous
Goods Panels, vice keep pace with rising numbers of airport passen- tates and helps to generate trade, commerce and
chairperson of the ICAO gers.” (6) tourism. It also provides, as well as assists in, the
AVSEC Panel, and creation of employment opportunities across the
rapporteur of the ICAO
Study Group – Aviation Along similar lines, Abu Dhabi International Airport, globe.
Security Incident which is the second major airport in the UAE, has
Reporting (SG-ASIR), tried a new system based on artificial intelligence. Modern and large airports across the globe that
ICAO AVSEC Panel Task This trial was undertaken in an effort to optimise handle substantial passenger and cargo volumes
Force on Assessing the
Enhancement of various processes and facilitate social distancing require modern and state-of-the-art technology,
Compliance with Annex at the airport. The trial was needed because of the aviation security systems, processes and proce-
17 (TF-AEC17), and the COVID-19 pandemic. This system, also known as dures, as well as well-trained and better-equipped
ICAO Aviation Security
Panel Task Force of the the new enhanced “Smart Travel” system, was aviation security personnel.
Governance Handbook
(TF-GH).
As part of his
responsibilities, he is in
charge of providing
aviation security
safeguards, measures Reference list
and procedures at all
international and (1) https://www.icao.int/Pages/default.aspx
domestic civil airports (2) https://www.icao.int/SAM/Documents/AVSEC-FAL-RG3/1.6%20Risk%20Context%20Statement%20Juan.pdf
within the UAE in order to (3) https://www.icao.int/Security/Documents/GLOBAL%20AVIATION%20SECURITY%20PLAN%20EN.pdf
safeguard civil aviation
operations against acts (4) https://www.nap.edu/download/10344
of unlawful interference. (5) Kruszka, L., Kló sak, M. and Muzolf, P. (2019) Critical infrastructure protection: best practices and innovative methods
of protection. Amsterdam: IOS Press.
(6) https://www.theairportshow.com/en-gb/industry-insights/emerging-technologies-helping-airports-tackle-
increasing-security-threats.html
(7) https://www.airport-technology.com/news/abu-dhabi-airport-ai-technology-social-distancing/

30 I ECAC NEWS #77 I Aviation security technology: supporting future resilience

 Aviation security technology: supporting future resilience

Open architecture in airport security

equipment – a collaborative approach
Introduction
Open architecture is a term that refers to the design secure and reliable. By using components and
of a system or product that allows for the integra- technologies from multiple sources, it is possible to
tion of components or technologies from multiple take advantage of the best available solutions,
sources. In the context of security equipment, open rather than being limited to a single vendor or prod-
architecture can refer to security systems and soft- uct line. This can help to ensure that the security
ware that are designed to be flexible and adapt- system is as robust and reliable as possible, and
able, and can easily integrate with other security can also help to reduce the risk of vendor lock-in,
technologies and solutions. which can be a concern with proprietary systems.

Historically, security equipment and associated Despite these benefits, there are also some chal-
software did not follow the principles of open archi- lenges to using open architecture in security equip- SÉBASTIEN COLMANT
tecture, limiting the interoperability with other sys- ment. Defining the technical aspects (e.g. image
tems. For many years, this has not been considered Head of Aviation Security,
format), and solving the liability and intellectual
as an issue; security equipment was mostly de- ACI EUROPE
property questions are some of the elements that
ployed following a standalone approach and there have to be addressed. To do so, there is a need for
was little request from end users to improve con- a coordinated approach involving the entire avi-
nectivity and communication between security so- ation security ecosystem.
lutions. Also, the variety of equipment deployed to
enforce security was relatively limited, most of the Coordinated steps forward
checkpoints being equipped with single-view x-ray
coupled to roller beds, walk-through metal detec- To promote the introduction of open architecture in
tors and some explosive trace detection systems. airport security systems, leading regulators and

“
However, over the last ten years the variety of airport operators from around the globe published
equipment available for deployment has signifi- a paper in July 2020 (1) describing, through broad Original
cantly increased and there have been requests to guidelines, how airport security systems can share
move away from the traditional approach and to data and how airports can work with partners to equipment
interconnect equipment through open architecture provide a path towards open architecture. This
principles. paper created a lot of interest but it was not self-
manufacturers
sufficient, and it was rapidly identified that airports, have been closely
There are several benefits with such approach. First regulators, manufacturers and solution providers
and foremost, open architecture allows for greater had to collaborate in an organised manner to de- involved in the
interoperability between different security tech- liver the open architecture objectives.
nologies, which can make it easier to manage and process and
maintain a comprehensive security system. This is Throughout 2021 and 2022, there has been a
especially useful in large or complex security sys- massive effort from aviation security stakeholders specific recom-
tems, where it may be necessary to integrate a to develop the elements that were included in the
wide range of security technologies and devices. paper mentioned above, identify solutions, and mendations have
understand the challenges faced by the different
Another benefit of open architecture is that it allows parties. Original equipment manufacturers have been identified.”
for greater flexibility in the deployment and man- been closely involved in the process and specific
agement of security equipment. With open archi- recommendations have been identified in the fol-
tecture, it is easier to add or remove components or lowing fields:
technologies as needed, without having to com- • Technical standards
pletely replace the entire system. This can save • Testing and certification
time and reduce cost, and can also allow for the • Commercial, liability and intellectual property.
system to be more easily customised to meet the
specific needs of a particular end user or environ- These recommendations should be published in
ment. the near future in a new version of the open archi-
tecture document and will support the deployment (1) Open Architecture
In addition to these benefits, open architecture can of solutions directly benefiting from the open archi- for Airport Security Systems
also help to ensure that security equipment is more tecture principles. (aci-europe.org)

ECAC NEWS #77 I Aviation security technology: supporting future resilience I 31

 Open architecture in airport security equipment – a collaborative approach

© pumpyvector
Next steps – delivering benefits and their inclusion in management tools developed
to fit airport operational needs.
Given the scope of open architecture and the var- Another expected benefit is the ability to easily pull
iety of security equipment which could benefit from images from screening equipment and to include
its principles, it is not possible to develop a compre- them in incident reports or in alarm resolution pro-
hensive list of use cases; however, some of them cesses shared with airport management and/or
are prioritised by airports and should find their authorities. For example, explosive ordnance dis-
place in their operational environment in the posal teams could receive in real time images from

“
coming years. screening equipment to start their risk assessment
as early as possible.
Authorities will FULLY CENTRALISED IMAGE PROCESSING
Whilst some airports have successfully imple- MONITORING AND MAINTENANCE
have to identify mented centralised image processing (2) (CIP), Whilst computerised maintenance management
the concept has some limitations. It is currently dif- systems (CMMS) are widely available, security
how testing and ficult to process simultaneously images produced equipment is often integrated in vendor-specific
by screening equipment from different manufac- monitoring systems limiting the ability for airports
certification of turers or that are from different types (conventional to run their maintenance process efficiently and ef-
x-ray, CT). This means that airports are limited in fectively.
security equipment their ability to take the full benefits of CIP. For Open architecture principles will support the inte-
example, when two terminals are equipped with
should evolve.” different fleets of screening equipment, airports are
gration of security equipment in the airport CMMS
to further improve the maintenance process and
unable to distribute images to a common viewing availability of compliant security equipment.
platform.
USER MANAGEMENT
With a common image format, it will be possible to Managing user rights and privileges on security
centralise images produced by any screening equipment can be a challenging task as these data
equipment. Combined with an ability to transfer im- are often registered and maintained on separate
ages in real time, this will enable airports to review databases for each type of security equipment.
images from any system and from any location to Keeping these multiple databases updated is re-
maximise operational benefits. This could be a source intensive as airports must enforce elements
major step forward for airport groups that are op- such as expiry dates, certification/training status
erating multiple airports as it would greatly facili- for each and every security officer on all the equip-
(2) Centralised image processing
is a concept where images
tate their ability to centralise screening operations ment that they are supposed to use.
generated by screening
across their airports to improve efficiency and
equipment are networked. facilitate oversight, training and consistency of the Open architecture will enable a single master da-
It enables to review images security output. tabase to be built, which could be synchronised
with more flexibility, moving with the local user databases of the different se-
away from the legacy CONOPS DATA SHARING curity equipment to reduce the overall adminis-
where a security officer is Current security equipment limit the ability for air- trative workload and limit human errors leading to
deployed for every screening ports to build a comprehensive situation awareness potential non-compliancy (e.g. a security officer
equipment. With CIP, airports as data are not easily available for inclusion in allowed to use a screening equipment without
have the ability to improve the dashboards or reports. having been recertified). It could also facilitate the
efficiency level of their Interoperable security equipment will facilitate implementation of a single sign-on process to im-
operations. automated data collection across the operations prove the security officer experience.

32 I ECAC NEWS #77 I Aviation security technology: supporting future resilience

 Open architecture in airport security equipment – a collaborative approach

Airports and other end users interested by the concept

will have to include specific open architecture
requirements in their tenders.

DATA SHARING WITH EXTERNAL PARTIES Closing remarks

Through open architecture, it will be possible to
share data between departure, arrival, and transfer Whilst the potential benefits of open architecture
airports. For example, it means the hold baggage are significant, stakeholders will still be required
data, including images, type of screening equip- to collaborate closely in the foreseeable future to
ment and detection algorithm results at the depar- enable them.
ture airport could be aggregated and made
available to airports and other parties, such as air- Airports and other end users interested by the con-
lines, customs and police worldwide to facilitate the cept will have to include specific open architecture
passenger journey or the enforcement of specific requirements in their tenders and will have to
requirements. evaluate the level of compliancy of equipment pro-
viders during the tender process. The development Sébastien Colmant
joined ACI EUROPE in
THIRD-PARTY ALGORITHMS and promotion of recommended tender require-
2021 where he is
The ability to run third-party algorithms on screen- ments should help to limit misunderstanding. This responsible for aviation
ing equipment also opens new opportunities for also means that equipment manufacturers and and cyber security.
airports and authorities as it will potentially in- service providers will have to ensure that their prod- Sébastien has spent his
crease the number of solutions available to deliver ucts are developed and maintained according to whole career in aviation,
the screening requirements, and will enable tailor- the latest open architecture specifications. predominantly on
aviation security
made solutions to be developed.
Last but not least, authorities will have to identify operations, policy and
development.
Theoretically it could be possible to develop how testing and certification of security equipment
He previously worked at
“screening equipment agnostic” algorithms which should evolve to enable some of the benefits that IATA where he first
could be deployed on any hardware producing an are considered (e.g. how third-party detection al- supported the Smart
image compliant with open architecture. gorithms could be certified independently from the Security project and later
screening equipment hardware). went on to supporting
AVSEC advocacy efforts
and delivering consulting
support around the
globe.
He was previously
responsible for
developing and
maintaining efficient and
compliant airport
security processes at
Charleroi Airport,
Belgium.
Sébastien started his
career as a legal adviser
for the Belgian Civil
Aviation Authority. He
holds a master’s degree
in law.
© joyfull

ECAC NEWS #77 I Aviation security technology: supporting future resilience I 33

 Aviation security technology: supporting future resilience

ECAC Common Evaluation Process

of security equipment
ECAC Executive Secretary, Patricia Reverdy, spoke with CEP Management Group chair,
Alastair McIntosh, on the benefits of the CEP for ECAC Member States

The ECAC Common Evaluation Process (CEP) of security equipment is the laboratory testing programme

interview
established by ECAC Member States to assess security equipment against ECAC/EU performance
standards and provide a common reference for national administrations to certify/approve the security
equipment deployed at airports under their responsibility.
with The aims of the CEP are to evaluate the technical performance of security equipment in an objective and
standardised manner across the different national test centres participating in the process, and to
provide ECAC Member States with reliable information on equipment performance against adopted
technical standards.

ECAC NEWS: First of all, thank you for By following this approach, no matter which test
having accepted to talk to us about the centre has tested the equipment, we are assured
CEP process and its achievements over that if a piece of equipment has passed the testing
the last years. You have been the chair process, it meets the standard it was tested
of the CEP Management Group for one against. As such, Member States have the knowl-
year now. We would appreciate having edge that the equipment will be able to detect the
ALASTAIR MCINTOSH your views on the process, and es- threats they are interested in at their airports. With
pecially what you think it brings to the this rigorous testing approach, they can then ap-
Head of Research, Analysis
Member States of ECAC. prove it for use at the airports in their countries.
and Development (RAD),
Department for Transport, What difference would it make for ECAC
ALASTAIR: I think it is probably worth a bit of
United Kingdom framing first. The CEP’s mission is to provide assu- Member States if the CEP didn’t exist?
rance that the capabilities of aviation security
equipment meet adopted technical standards. To Prior to the CEP, it was up to national authorities
do that, there are a number of test centres within within the Member States – and separately of
the CEP that test equipment against Common Test- course to ECAC – to undertake testing of aviation
ing Methodologies, which have been developed security equipment themselves. To do that it
and agreed by experts from across numerous ECAC requires having a test centre, technical experts,
Member States. access to the threat materials you are concerned

34 I ECAC NEWS #77 I Aviation security technology: supporting future resilience

 ECAC Common Evaluation Process of security equipment

The CEP brings

a unified standard
testing approach.

about, and the appropriate health and safety re-

gimes, etc. While manufacturers do pay an admin-
istrative fee when they bring equipment for testing,
this is a very expensive undertaking, so the benefit
to the 44 ECAC Member States is that the contribu-

© phonlamai
ting authorities (1) of the CEP have taken on this
burden. If the CEP didn’t exist, it would be up to na-
tional authorities to find the funding and to set up
that capability.

So in a system where the CEP doesn’t What do you think is the added value
exist, we would see a fragmentation of of the CEP to the manufacturer? They
testing across Europe?
participate, they send their equipment
to the CEP centres, they pay for tests to
Any State can undertake national testing. This is
be performed. But what do they get out
what we did in the UK before 2009, and where
of the CEP?
possible we would make use of national testing
undertaken in other countries. For example, we

“
The CEP is
I would ask “what is the common ground between
might have made use of results from the French
test centre – STAC. We would review any test results all the stakeholders of the CEP?”. And really, it is the
they had undertaken, and either we would be desire to ensure that aviation is safe and secure. the largest
happy with the approach and testing undertaken,
approving the equipment for use in the UK, or we For Member States it is about deploying equipment evaluation
might decide that we needed to do some extra tests that has capabilities to detect the threats they are
at our own test centre before we could give appro- concerned about. programme for
val.
For manufacturers, it’s about developing equip- aviation security
But this results in a situation where you could have ment which can detect those threats. But to do that,
very different approved equipment lists across they need a process they can come to with their
equipment in the
equipment; they can get it tested, knowing the test-
Europe and ECAC’s 44 Member States. This means
ing is rigorous, and they can receive feedback so if
world, covering
that not only could Member States not know how
effective the security is in countries where flights they don’t pass the evaluation process they can 44 ECAC Member
are departing for their country, but it also produces then reapply having made changes.
a very confused market for the manufacturers, States.”
where there may be different requirements across This what the CEP provides. Going through the CEP
every Member State. they can be sent to a number of test centres – we
have capacity in France, Germany, the Netherlands,
The CEP brings a unified standard testing ap- Spain and the United Kingdom. Their equipment is
proach. This means that across our 44 Member then tested against the Common Testing Method-
States and within Europe (because since October ology so it doesn’t matter where it is tested. And if
2020 CEP-approved equipment is automatically the testing is passed, they ultimately receive the
eligible for EU approval and the EU stamp) there is stamp of endorsement that their equipment meets
a common approach. And that is the key part. It not the required standard. It is worth mentioning that it
only saves money but ensures the threats we are is still up to the national authorities to decide if they
concerned about are addressed, and gives a stable wish to approve that equipment to be deployed.
market for manufacturers and their future devel-
opments. The CEP is the largest evaluation programme for
aviation security equipment in the world, covering (1) France, Germany,
44 ECAC Member States. We also know that outside the Netherlands, Spain and
of ECAC, a number of non-ECAC Member States also the United Kingdom

ECAC NEWS #77 I Aviation security technology: supporting future resilience I 35

 ECAC Common Evaluation Process of security equipment
© Biojfo

plosive testing system (EDS) testing expanding

across six other categories of equipment – nearly
an extra category a year from 2009: liquids detec-
tion systems, security scanners, trace detection,
metal detection, cabin baggage x-ray systems, and
walk-through metal detection systems. When you
look at the whole picture, we currently have nearly
700 configurations on the CEP equipment list that
meet ECAC/EU performance standards. That’s a
huge number across those seven categories of
equipment. And they are available for Member
look at the public listings of the equipment we have States to approve for use, and for airports – as the
evaluated, making use of our lists rather than users of equipment in those countries – to pick
undertaking testing themselves. The CEP process from. They have access to a list of equipment and,
benefits not only the market within Europe but also depending on their budget, operational require-
worldwide. ments and infrastructure, they can choose from it
knowing the equipment will meet the requirements
Indeed. ECAC publishes on its website of their country’s national authority.
the list of equipment that is found to
meet performance standards, and we Another key achievement is that we are flexible and
understand this is being used widely by

“
move with the times. Standards and testing meth-
non-European States as a reference for odologies have changed over time to address new
We currently their own procurement procedures. We threats. And bringing online those six other cat-
have seen this quite a lot in some coun- egories of equipment shows we take into account
have nearly 700 tries where the procurement documen- the market as well.
tation says that equipment on the ECAC
configurations on list – and no other – can be deployed. Two new categories of equipment are
So it is also a recognition of the value going to be deployed. They have been
the CEP equipment of the CEP for the wider international approved now and will be tested this
community. year. Can you tell us a bit more about
list that meet that?
I agree. The other aspect is that, in addition to the
ECAC/EU CEP, we also have the ECAC Technical Task Force We have two new categories of equipment: explos-
performance (TTF). We rely on the TTF, comprising multiple ive vapour detection (EVD) and APIDS (Automated
Member States’ technical experts, to develop the Prohibited Item Detection Systems). Testing for both
standards.” Common Testing Methodologies our test centres are coming online this year, with APIDS testing
use. This means that those outside ECAC know starting in the next few months in the UK.
there has been rigorous technical assessment, dis-
cussion and decision making to come up with not APIDS is really interesting because we are looking
only how we test equipment but the standards they at being able to do more with the equipment that is
need to achieve. deployed at airports – use of artificial intelligence,
machine learning, better algorithms. We are also
The CEP was created almost 15 years looking at new standards for explosive detection
ago, in 2009. You’ve mentioned a lot systems for cabin baggage (EDSCB) – the new
about its added value but if you had to standard C4 – and how all of these link together.
summarise the top three main achiev-
ements of the CEP, what would they be? Another big focus for us over the next few years is
to ensure the CEP is reliable. We have to sustain the
I would go back to the comment “what if the CEP process and by that, I mean we have to move with
didn’t exist?”. We brought together what were frag- the times, bring in new categories of equipment,
mented testing regimes in national authorities and look at how we do testing so we can ensure the
within ECAC. Since 2009, we have moved from ex- outputs of the CEP are reliable.

36 I ECAC NEWS #77 I Aviation security technology: supporting future resilience

 ECAC Common Evaluation Process of security equipment

We want to work with ECAC Member States

who are not currently part of the process
One of the big issues for us of course is the capacity
to bring them on board, expanding the
we have within the CEP. We want to work with ECAC
Member States who are not currently part of the
number of CEP test centres.
process to bring them on board, expanding the
number of CEP test centres. This means that not
only will the CEP be more robust because we will
have more members involved, but we will also have
more capacity for testing. When we then bring in
new categories of equipment, we can adjust our
testing approach more easily and respond to that I think the system is there to last be-
faster. This is key as technological developments – cause it does bring a lot to ECAC Member
and we see this outside of security as well – are States, and to aviation in general, pro-
happening faster and faster. viding better security for all travelling
citizens. I believe it is an important con-
We are starting to think about things like open tribution from the contributing auth-
architecture, where the hardware from one manu- orities to the wider community.
facturer but the software from another – including
universities – might be used. Some academic Yes. One of the key points I always consider – and
groups are doing fascinating things with software. I am not sure if it is an ECAC security goal but I have
But how we test these systems will be very different always viewed it as one – is the aim to improve avi-
to how we are doing testing now. What about if ation security globally. The CEP is really the lynch
you have combinations of systems, or a system pin of that effort. That is why the equipment lists
are publicly accessible, we have agreements with Alastair McIntosh
coupled with another one – a systems-of-systems is the head of Research,
approach – how do we approach that within the a number of non-ECAC Member States to share
Analysis and
testing process? So there are big challenges ahead extra information when needed to support their ap- Development at the
for the CEP over the next three to five years – but provals, and we can be contacted by any ECAC Department for Transport
also, of course opportunities. Member State, non-ECAC Member States, manufac- in the United Kingdom.
turers or airports for more information. Over the last 15 years, his
I understand you have also adopted career has focused on
a roadmap for the benefit of all ECAC Before we close, is there anything else the application of science
that you would like to share about the and technology to
Member States, which describes the
defence and security
direction and the priorities for the next CEP and your experience as chair of the
with his current teams
five years? management group since the last year? delivering the evidence,
advice and capabilities
Yes, that’s correct. The roadmap is built around Being chair of the management group is a huge that ensure the transport
those points mentioned earlier. There are three opportunity. Coordination is needed across a network is secure. He
principles: reliability, sustainability and being number of stakeholders: ECAC’s 44 Member States, holds a PhD and master’s
transparent (as much as we can be) with all our manufacturers, and airports as end-users. The CEP in chemistry and is a
stakeholders. And three core outcomes: improving is the largest evaluation programme – I believe in Fellow of the Royal
Society of Chemistry.
the CEP’s outputs, improving the CEP’s processes, the world – and many people rely on it, so ensuring
and increasing capacity. Under those six items – that it functions well, how it needs to, and that it
three principles and three outcomes – we have delivers, is extremely rewarding. It is sometimes
identified the key high, medium and low priorities a difficult task, but it is very much a rewarding
for the next three years, which will ultimately be the one.
foundation of ensuring that the CEP is reliable, sus-
tainable and transparent moving forward – hope-
fully for another 15 years or longer.

If you would like more information on the CEP, visit the ECAC website:
https://www.ecac-ceac.org/activities/security/common-evaluation-process-cep-of-security-equipment

ECAC NEWS #77 I Aviation security technology: supporting future resilience I 37

 News from ECAC
and JAA TO:
• ECAC Spotlight
• ECAC in brief
• JAA TO

38 I ECAC NEWS #77

 ECAC Spotlight

ECAC Guidance Material Task Force

WHAT IS THE GMTF? On this we also agreed – improvements certainly
WHAT ARE THE GMTF’S OBJECTIVES?
The ECAC Guidance Material Task Force, which we
know as “the GMTF”, is a group formed of ECAC
were needed. We wanted time to discuss aviation
security issues and not just read the papers pres-
ented. We wanted to make valuable use of our time, interview
Member State, observer State and industry nomi-
nees. Nominations are accepted on the basis of ex-
make meetings meaningful, respect each other’s
time … we had a list and started to make the small
changes immediately.
with
perience, competency and valid security clearance
to ensure that they can develop for ECAC Member
States the best guidance material on any aspect of We wanted to be proactive: today, all regulatory
aviation security. changes are evaluated and guidance is prioritised
so that the guidance is ready for Member States
Delivering guidance material is the reason the when ECAC Doc 30, Part II — Security amendments
GMTF exists. It provides a unique space, where are issued.
authorities and industry engage openly about the
issues we face. We have a common objective: to We wanted to make valuable use of our time: agen-
ensure that Member States have the best advice for das are issued well in advance to maximise partici-
safeguarding civil aviation against acts of unlawful pation, particularly when visas are required for our
interference. members. We highlight a topic on the agenda to set
time aside for a brainstorming discussion, where ELEANOR TRAVERS
WHAT TOPICS IS THE GROUP CURRENTLY we will focus on drawing out key points we can use Aviation Security Manager,
FOCUSING ON? in our papers. Irish Aviation Authority
2022 was our best year ever!
Not only does the GMTF work hard, it works really
well.
The Guidance Material Task Force has been on a
journey to reform how it works and to ensure that
WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU SEE ARISING
Member States have the best guidance available
IN THE FUTURE?
for the implementation of harmonised aviation
security measures. Not so rosy, however, is the ongoing challenge of
COVID on available budgets, resulting in limits on We have a
The journey started in 2019 with an objective the number of in-person meetings. The GMTF is
analysis of our work, including what we liked about struggling with this – knowing that we can be more common objective:
the task force, what we disliked, what was working, productive in two days together than the equivalent
what was not. We also looked at why we partici- time spent online. We cannot engage in discussions to ensure that
pated in the task force, the rationale we used with on matters that are security sensitive, as we do not
our respective hierarchies to justify the cost of par- have the tools to ensure this information can be Member States
ticipation. Finally, we looked at what we valued. shared. Our new members have a particularly dif-
ficult challenge to work in a team having never met have the best
What was most interesting about this exercise, was their GMTF colleagues in person.
that despite the different backgrounds of the task advice for
force members, at its core was a shared under- While we are using best practices as we work on-
standing of the value of the GMTF. It was clear that line, there is still a sense that our in-person meet- safeguarding civil
we knew what we wanted to achieve together, and ings are more effective. Even meeting twice each
for Member States. But were improvements needed? year (and not three times as was the case pre-
aviation against
COVID), would make a significant difference to the
quality of the engagement and content if in-person
acts of unlawful
meetings were the norm. In person, we achieve not interference.
only our work programme but also form the rela-
tionships we rely on for a second, trusted opinion
or if we want a “sounding board” for an issue we
are dealing with.

ECAC NEWS #77 I News from ECAC & JAA TO I 39

 ECAC Spotlight

Some of the GMTF

members during a break
at the 56th meeting of
the group in Paris,
September 2022

WHAT MAIN CHALLENGES FOR ECAC SOME FINAL WORDS?

MEMBER STATES DO YOU SEE EMERGING/ 2023 and 2024 will see the ECAC GMTF strategy
BEING DISCUSSED BY THE GROUP AT realised. The achievements include moving the
FUTURE MEETINGS? GMTF work programme from reactive to proactive
A key challenge is membership. In 2022, fifteen by making sure guidance, such as best practices
Member States participated in the GMTF, two of for the implementation of Automated Prohibited
whom participated on an ad hoc basis. We would Items Detections Software (APIDS), is available to
like to promote more engagement with GMTF as the Member States as the ECAC Doc 30, Part II — Secur-
measure of our effectiveness is determined by our ity revisions are issued. It will also mean that all
“customer”, ECAC Member States. If we are not ECAC guidance material is within a five-year revi-

“
We would like
meeting your needs, it is difficult for us to know that
without feedback. We are thankful to the ECAC
Security Forum chair, Carla Pinto, for making time
on the Security Forum agenda where GMTF can up-
sion programme, ensuring Member States have the
latest and best information available for aviation
security harmonisation in the region. We are also
ensuring that innovation remains at the heart of
to promote more date and report on its work. However, we need more our thinking and approach with at least 20% of
questions from the Security Forum and ideally papers addressing guidance material on new topics
engagement more contributors within the GMTF to ensure gui- not previously available.
dance is not dominated by any particular interest
with GMTF.” group or biased towards a level of implementation This work is only possible with the great team that
applicable only to the few. is the GMTF. Our leadership partnership – Ireland,
Türkiye and the ECAC Secretariat – together with
We know from experience that if one of us has a the committed professionals that engage whole-
problem, we all have that problem. The GMTF is heartedly with a demanding work programme,
working to ensure that if we know how to address and turn up to support each other – is ECAC har-
that problem, we should all know how to address monisation in practice. In today’s aviation security
that problem. Everyone’s voice and experience environment, it is that togetherness that is most
matters – finding a way to ensure it is heard and needed – all of us focused on the core objective of
available is key to our future success. safeguarding civil aviation from acts of unlawful
interference.

Eleanor Travers leads the Aviation Security Division in the Irish Aviation Authority, which is the appropriate authority in Ireland for the
purposes of EC Regulation 300/2008. Eleanor has worked in aviation throughout her career, initially in airport operations and latterly in
aviation security. She worked at international level with ECAC in Paris before returning to Dublin to work for the authority. The authority's
Aviation Security Division is responsible for processing approvals, conducting compliance monitoring, certifying personnel and coordinating
aviation security matters with more than 400 regulated entities.
She is currently chair of ECAC’s Guidance Material Task Force and is committed to promoting information and experience exchanges that
improve the effectiveness of the national and global aviation security system.

40 I ECAC NEWS #77 I News from ECAC & JAA TO

 ECAC in brief

Directors General of
Civil Aviation gather for
their 159th meeting.

Directors General review 2022 activities and future priorities

at end-of-year meeting
PARIS, 7 DECEMBER 2022

D irectors General of Civil Aviation gathered for

their 159th meeting (DGCA/159) to analyse the
main outcomes of the 41st ICAO Assembly, to dis-
presentation on the priorities for the Swedish Presi-
dency of the Council of the European Union in the
first semester of 2023.
cuss the preparations for the ICAO Council elections
in 2025, to hear updates on recent European devel- Jeremie Teahan (EASA) briefed Directors General on
opments, and to review the status of implementa- the latest air traffic management regulatory and
tion of ECAC’s activities in the current year and the development activities and the European Aviation
work priorities for the next year in the following Environmental Report (EAER) published by EASA
domains: external relations, safety and accident every three years. He also briefly presented the
investigations, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), Annual Safety Review 2022.
aviation security, environment (including capacity-
building activities), facilitation, economics, legal, EUROCONTROL Director General, Eamonn Brennan,
gave an update on the performance of the Network,
communication, and diversity in civil aviation.
including traffic volumes in 2022 and previsions for
the evolution of air traffic in 2023. He also announced
ECAC President Alessio Quaranta presented ECAC’s
that the solidarity funds to support Member States
activities on external relations, highlighting the out-
affected by the war in Ukraine had been approved,
reach activities and relations with key international
and the process for participation had been
partners and sister regional organisations (ACAO,
launched, with an establishment of funds effective
AFCAC, LACAC). The active involvement of observers on 15 December 2022.
(Australia, Canada, Israel, New Zealand, Singapore,
United States) in various ECAC groups, especially The ECAC President thanked Mr Brennan for the
on aviation security matters, was also mentioned. continuous and valuable help and support offered
to ECAC, and his commitment and determination to
Zdeněk Jelínek (DGCA Czech Republic) provided an support European aviation no matter how many
update on the main achievements of the Czech challenges were encountered along the way.
Presidency of the Council of the European Union,
focusing on activities related to aviation (e.g. ReFuel Directors General also expressed their appreciation
EU Aviation, CORSIA, EU emissions trading system and gratitude, and thanked Mr Brennan for his
(ETS) rules, work on a technical level on transport leadership, friendship and assistance provided to
connectivity, and coordination during ICAO meet- ECAC in the past years. They wished him the best
ings). Gunnar Ljungberg (DGCA Sweden) gave a in his future endeavours.

ECAC NEWS #77 I News from ECAC & JAA TO I 41

 ECAC in brief

We must find practical

ways through common
solutions to support the
industry in its recovery
from the crisis and
in the new challenges
it faces.

Directors General convene in Paris to examine the aviation sector

as it emerges from the crisis
PARIS, 6 DECEMBER 2022

T he latest session of the ECAC Forum of Directors

General (FORUM/15) took place in Paris. This
year’s programme examined the aviation sector as
Piotr Samson, DGCA Poland and ECAC Focal Point
for Safety, moderated the second session of the
Forum on the aeropolitical landscape in the context
it makes its way out of the crisis. of ICAO and the Chicago Convention framework.
The Forum condemned recent breaches and urged
Over 90 participants and speakers from 34 ECAC States to stand together behind international law
Member States, the European Commission, EASA, for fair and consistent responses to current and
ICAO, IATA, ACI EUROPE, Lot Polish Airlines, Leiden future exceptional events. It was agreed, however,
University, AerCap, Royal Schiphol Group and the that the current aviation sector has undergone
United States’ Federal Aviation Administration joined significant change since 2019, resulting in new
the session in person. pressures in some areas and justifying review of
the current aviation framework.
Opening the Forum, David McMillan, former EURO-
CONTROL Director General and former United King- The last session, moderated by Tânia Cardoso
dom Director General for Civil Aviation, explored Simões, President of the Board of Directors of ANAC
2022 aviation trends of increased traffic that were (Portugal), examined what is needed for the sector
dampened by service disruption and specific chal-
to achieve long-term sustainability and resilience.
lenges faced by some stakeholders.
The Forum discussed the important roles that
innovation and flexible processes play in suppor-
The first session, moderated by Elisabeth Land-
ting these aims. It looked at the impacts of new
richter, DGCA Austria and ECAC Focal Point for
technology in the market – from newer aircraft sys-
Unmanned Aircraft Systems, further explored 2022
tems to green propulsion aircraft types and digital
trends and the root causes within and external to
the system. The Forum recognised that the industry analytical tools to enable predictive safety man-
is facing new challenges as it continues towards agement systems. Forum participants agreed
recovery and plans for the future. Both industry above all the vital need for effective regulation and
and regulators must learn from the experiences of enhanced cooperation to sustain the sector.
the pandemic and summer 2022 events. There are
lessons particularly on the importance of enhanced ECAC President, Alessio Quaranta, brought the
cooperation and transparency. Forum to a close by underlining the importance of
finding practical ways through common solutions
to support the industry in its recovery from the crisis
and in the new challenges it faces.

42 I ECAC NEWS #77 I News from ECAC & JAA TO

 ECAC in brief

Snapshot of the 41st ICAO Assembly

MONTREAL, 27 SEPTEMBER - 7 OCTOBER

he 41st ICAO Assembly saw major advances on

T environment and other domains (aviation se-
curity, cyber security, safety and ATM, facilitation,
not only from those in Montreal but also experts in
their capitals participating remotely. Cyber security
became a coordinated domain in its own right for
economics), against the background of extended the first time.
discussions, re-timetabling of meetings and news-
worthy decisions. In all, 18 working papers across the full range of The Assembly
domains were presented by European States and
The Assembly, in an historic decision, adopted a organisations. Two European Directors General of adopted a
collective long-term aspirational goal (LTAG) of net- Civil Aviation were elected as officers of the Assem-
zero carbon emissions by 2050. It also completed collective
bly – Raúl Medina Caballero (Spain) as chair of the
the first review of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduc- Technical Commission, and Rannia Leontaridi long-term
tion Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) (United Kingdom) as second vice-president of the
with a baseline reflecting the original ambitions of
Assembly – with Elisabeth Landrichter (Austria) aspirational
the scheme, with revised percentages for sectoral
also serving as first vice-chair of the Economic goal (LTAG)
and individual growth factors that were acceptable
Commission and Susanna Metsälampi (Finland) as
to Europe.
vice-chair of the Legal Commission. of net-zero
All eight European candidates for the ICAO Council
The Assembly was also a good opportunity for carbon
(Austria – representing the ABIS group, France,
Germany, Iceland – representing NORDICAO, Italy, outreach activities. The ECAC President, Alessio emissions
Romania – representing CERG, Spain and the United Quaranta, and the ECAC Executive Secretary, Patri-
Kingdom) were elected. cia Reverdy, had bilateral meetings with the ICAO by 2050.
Council President, ICAO Secretary General, regional
Three ICAO Council papers on breaches of the Chi- sister organisations ACAO, AFCAC and LACAC, and
cago Convention by the Russian Federation, Bela- international Partner States such as the Republic
rus and North Korea, to which European members of Korea, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. The long-
of the Council had contributed greatly, were agreed. standing cooperation with ECAC partners was re-
European ambitions on security, facilitation, safety confirmed, and joint activities for the next triennium
and ATM, and economics were achieved through were discussed for a sustainable development of
the normal coordination process, with participation international civil aviation.

ECAC NEWS #77 I News from ECAC & JAA TO I 43

 ECAC in brief

News from the ECAC Secretariat

CHARLOTTE LUND joined the ECAC CASE II Project team as an aviation security specialist on 1 October
2022. She holds degrees in communications and marketing and has 16 years of experience in aviation
security at Copenhagen Airport with a focus on regulations, training and education. Before joining ECAC,
Charlotte held a security specialist position for the Danish National Police.

KLEJDA DERVISHAJ joined the ECAC CASE II Project team in October 2022 as a
financial and administrative assistant after several years of professional experi-
ence in Albania in relevant roles in a financial institution and an international
services company.

JULIAN LOVEKIN joined the CASE II Project team as an

administrative assistant on 1 October 2022. Originally from
Toronto, Canada, Julian completed his undergraduate
studies in history and English literature at McGill University
in Montreal, and his postgraduate degree in international
history at the London School of Economics.

ANGELA LYNCH joined the ECAC Secretariat on 1 December 2022 as a policy coordinator covering econ-
omics, facilitation, legal issues and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) after six years at the United Kingdom
Civil Aviation Authority in its Strategy and Policy Department. Prior to that, Angela worked on international
financial services policy and inward investment. At the UK CAA she developed experience of the aviation
sector from a regulatory perspective, working most recently in innovation policy covering developments
in electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and advanced air mobility operations.

MARCH
8-9 I 52nd meeting of the Training Task Force (TrTF/52), online
9 I 3rd ECAC Workshop on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (ENV-SAF-WKSHP/3), online
9 I 55th meeting of the Facilitation Sub-Group on Immigration (FAL-IMMIGRAT-SG/55), online
23 I 8th meeting of the Network of Chief Economists (NCE/8), Paris
23 I 59th meeting of the European Aviation and Environment Working Group (EAEG/59), online
24 I 15th meeting of the Economic Working Group (ECO/15), Paris
29 I 17th Familiarisation webinar on basic knowledge on aviation and the environment
(ENV-FAMWEB/17), online
30 I 46th meeting of the Legal Task Force (LEGTF/46), online

APRIL
calendar

4 197th meeting of the Coordinating Committee (CC/197), Paris

I
5-6 38th meeting of the Security Forum (SF/38), online
I
12-13 ECAC Certified Aviation Security Auditors Recurrent Training and Recertification, Paris
I
13 65th meeting of the Facilitation Working Group (FAL/65), Paris
I
18-19 Workshop on screener recruitment, training and certification in a post-COVID environment, Paris
I
19 18th Familiarisation webinar on basic knowledge on aviation and the environment
I
(ENV-FAMWEB/18), online
25 I ACC workshop on harmonising the classification of serious incidents versus incidents, Bratislava
26-27 I 58th meeting of the Guidance Material Task Force (GMTF/58), Paris/hybrid
26-27 I 46th meeting of the Study Group on Cyber Security in Civil Aviation (CYBER/46), Madrid

MAY
11-12 I 53rd meeting of the Training Task Force (TrTF/53), Zurich/hybrid
17 I 19th Familiarisation webinar on basic knowledge on aviation and the environment
(ENV-FAMWEB/19), online
23 I 160th meeting of Directors General of Civil Aviation (DGCA/160), Paris

44 I ECAC NEWS #77 I News from ECAC & JAA TO

 News from the JAA Training
Organisation (JAA TO)

Editorial

Dear readers of ECAC News, Aviation security is everyone’s responsibility, a hol-

istic approach that involves minimising risk through

S ince flying began, safety and security have

been the main components in organised global
air transport, and security-related issues now-
leadership, threat assessment, resource manage-
ment and human capability. It is with pride that the
JAA Training Organisation (JAA TO), as a Dutch-
adays inform a variety of preventive measures recognised national aviation security training
summarised in Annex 17 of the International Civil centre, facilitates aviation security-related training
Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Chicago Convention. and workshops in support of ICAO Standards and
Recommended Practices (SARPs) and reaffirms
Globally interconnected supply chains, the steadily that aviation security should be treated with the
increasing air freight and air passenger volume (pre- highest priority by ICAO and its Member States (see
COVID), unforeseen global events (COVID, war) and GASeP – Global Aviation Security Plan).
rapidly, ever-changing technology (such as artifi-
cial intelligence, internet of things (IoT)) put States, In terms of raising awareness and promoting
regulators and operators to test and should remind capacity building for global security practices,
all stakeholders not to lose focus of security. JAA TO avails of a pool of its own resources of
subject-matter-experts (SMEs), cyber security, SeMS,
Because security is a dynamic discipline on how to airport security training courses and the ICAO STP PAULA V. DE ALMEIDA
safeguard the industry against acts of unlawful in- (Standardized Training Package): Unruly Passen- JAA TO Director
terference and evolving threats, it requires adaptive gers. On the local, organisational level these are
security/risk management, collaboration, security some of the puzzle pieces coming together for an
assurance, regulatory frameworks, and training overall safer and more secure air transport system.
and capacity building. Organisations that strengthen
their Security Management Systems (SeMS) and Read below some recent JAA TO news and mile-
foster security cultures create positive environ- stones related to aviation security, dangerous goods
ments that are company assets and vital to any training and more.
organisation’s viability.
I hope you enjoy reading this issue of ECAC News.

JAA TO receives IATA Dangerous Goods recognition

I n August 2022, the International Air Transport

Association (IATA) accredited JAA TO as a Com-
petency-based Training and Assessment (CBTA)
The IATA CBTA Excellence recognition is the highest
level of the three accreditations given to organisa-
tions offering solutions and services to the industry
Centre of Excellence. With this status achievement, for the development of CBTA for dangerous goods
JAA TO is the first training organisation in the in accordance with IATA’s DGR - Appendix H.5.
Netherlands to receive the CBTA Excellence accredi-
tation by IATA. Furthermore, JAA TO has completed the Dutch auth-
orities’ (Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Man-
This prestigious accreditation confirms that JAA TO’s agement) process to become a recognised training
dangerous goods training courses are not only institution, providing training and conducting
benchmarked against and meet IATA’s Dangerous examinations required by organisations to obtain
Goods Regulations (DGR) training provisions, it also a certificate to transport dangerous goods by air for
attests that JAA TO’s training design and devel- both “General” and “Radioactive” fields.
opment methodology and best practices comply
with IATA’s DGR guidelines for the development of During ICAO’s 41st Assembly in Montreal, JAA TO’s
CBTA for dangerous goods in accordance with the CEO and business strategist and relationship man-
new ICAO and IATA CBTA requirements that came ager met with Laurent Delarue, Director IATA Certifi-
into effect on 1 January 2023. cations, to proudly receive the official certificate.

ECAC NEWS #77 I News from ECAC & JAA TO I 45

 News from the JAA Training
Organisation (JAA TO)

JAA TO interviews with SMEs on aviation

security training

A viation remains a high-value target. And while

security incidents have a huge impact on pub-
lic consciousness and perception, industry stake-
Aviation increasingly relies on automated systems,
deeming human skill as obsolete. Such paradox of
automation exposes increasing cyber vulnerabil-
holders are encouraged not to turn a blind eye ities in aviation, making a first line of defence
when it comes to prevention and capacity building. through capacity building and training of personnel
Today, threats can be complex and changing in even more important. Read the interview at
nature, motives and acting perpetrators, ranging https://jaato.com/news/cyber/.
from terrorism, conflict zones and cyber attacks to
insider threats, unruly passengers and State/non- Leadership-driven security culture helps teams
State actors. In support of ICAO SARPs, JAA TO pub- understand the deeper reasons and benefits of
lished interviews with its security SMEs talking strong security management systems. Such posi-
about threat perception, first lines of defence and tive reinforcements create feedback loops that
leadership-driven security culture. inform future risk/threat management. Read the
interview at https://jaato.com/news/avsec/.

JAA TO at the 71st Special meeting of ECAC Directors General

I n August 2022, the European Civil Aviation Con-

ference (ECAC) Directors General met in Sorrento
for their 71st Special meeting, hosted by the Italian
During the meeting, JAA TO’s CEO announced the
3rd JAA TO High-Level Brainstorm Session, dedicated
to the 44 ECAC Directors General, which provides a
Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC). As the associated closed forum to discuss the topic of emerging
body of ECAC, JAA TO was represented by CEO, information security threats in aviation – navigating
Paula V. de Almeida, and business strategist and the upcoming challenges for oversight of the critical
relationship manager, Eric Schoonderwoerd. aeronautical information systems.

Preferential seats programme for ECAC Member State CAAs

I n an exclusive effort to drive harmonisation and

support ECAC’s objectives and functions with
regard to training and capacity building, JAA TO
Responding to the high demand, JAA TO was able
to facilitate three virtual classes on the Introduction
to Aviation Regulations at maximum capacity,
has activated a preferential approach for its listed teaching over 90 ECAC Member State CAA profes-
training courses. The website can be found at sionals in 2022. Congratulations to all trainees!
https://jaato-ecac.mailchimpsites.com/, and by
approaching JAA TO’s customer service unit and
referring to their privilege as an ECAC Member State
CAA, preferential enrolment will be activated.

46 I ECAC NEWS #77 I News from ECAC & JAA TO

ECACNEWS provides an overview of the
activities of the European Civil
Aviation Conference. ECAC makes no warranty, either
implicit or explicit, for the information contained
in this document, neither does it assume any legal
liability or responsibility for the accuracy or complete-
ness of this information.
Opinions expressed in signed articles are the author’s
opinions and do not necessarily reflect those of ECAC.
Reproduction in whole or in part of all unsigned
material is freely authorised. For rights to reproduce
signed articles, please contact the ECAC Secretariat.
ECACNEWS is published by the
European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC)

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

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