JUSTIN WASTNAGE / LONDON
European Parliament exempts smaller bases and jet aircraft from regulations hastily drawn up after 11 September
Smaller European business aviation airports have avoided being subjected to new anti-terrorism security measures due to be enforced from next year.
The European Parliament added a change to the European Union civil aviation security proposal to exempt smaller airports and light and mid-range jets following advice from business aircraft operators. The amended rules exclude airports with an annual average of no more than two passenger aircraft movements a day. Airports handling passenger aircraft with a take-off weight of less than 10,000kg (22,000lb) or fewer than 20 seats are also exempt, as are general aviation aircraft. This will reduce the financial burden on regional airfields with business jets up to superlight class, which had previously been faced with bringing airfields up to international gateway standards, says the European Business Aviation Association.
The Airports Council International says: "This provision is being proposed so as to avoid a disproportionately heavy investment in security being required, when the derived benefit of enhancing security through this investment is relatively low."
The bill's drafter, Jan Dhaene, says the original bill was drawn up in haste after the 11 September attacks and contained errors that made the rules impractical for small airfields and small aircraft owners operating from larger airports.
Fixed-base operations sharing an airport's facilities with an international passenger terminal will have to have a "demarcated area" separated from other security-restricted areas of an airport "by means of access control". However, aircraft operators will have to inform destination airports if they have taken off from the less secure area of an airport and could be refused landing permission. Private flights will be exempt from some baggage screening requirements if no link with a scheduled carrier is planned. National governments are required to audit security procedures at smaller airports under the new plan.
These rules are, however, subject to EU countries' own national security regulations, and those countries perceived to be at higher risk, such as France, Germany and the UK, are still likely to impose tighter restrictions on small airfields. The proposal was initially passed by the European Commission in September last year, subject to these alterations, and is expected to be given the green light by transport ministers before the middle of this year.
Source: Flight International
