IATA believes that regulators and manufacturers need to develop smarter and faster next-generation aviation security screening equipment for airline passengers, their baggage, and the cargo supply chain. Indeed, it is important that security technologies can adapt to emerging threats, and evolving passenger and cargo volumes.
Streamlining Technology Deployment
All too often the rights tools for the job are left languishing in laboratories. Working with stakeholders, IATA is developing a road map for technology “pipelines” to expedite the approval process for security equipment and passenger and cargo data. Key to our efforts is acceleration in the deployment of next generation EDS, ETD, x-ray, and magnetometer equipment.
Developing Common Standards
Duplicative certification regimes across the globe often result in manufacturers having to validate the same piece of equipment to differing standards. This slows down the deployment process and adds needless expense to certification. To attack this problem, IATA is working on common baseline specifications with the development of service level standards that airlines can use to assess security technologies. These will complement the standards for Advance Passenger Information (API), Advance Cargo Information (ACI) and Passenger Name Record (PNR).
Making the Business Case
Technology must be cost effective, as well as capable of detecting next generation threats to the air transport system. That’s why one of IATA’s long term goals is to develop business cases with which to analyze the cost effectiveness of security technology. Additionally, to gain experience with the cost of maintenance and operation of new technology, IATA facilitates member participation in government pilot projects and IATA’s Fast Travel initiative.