Germany's government is evaluating the introduction of an air cargo security charge as part of a wider programme to increase security controls for air freight at the country's airports.
The federal ministeries of transport and the interior are currently working on a concept to improve security levels for air cargo, following the discovery of explosives on US-bound cargo aircraft last October. One of the packages containing explosives, which originated in Yemen, was discovered at East Midlands airport in the UK after arriving from Cologne. In future, German police will not only screen shipments, which have been checked in at the country's airports, but also goods that have arrived from other locations and are passing through to international destinations.
"Depending on the quality of security checks in the respective third country", the federal police will have to establish additional security checks, says the ministry of the interior.
The administration says that it is considering whether to finance these and other additional measures through an air cargo security charge.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
