Members attending IATA’s 72nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Dublin, Ireland, today (June 2) have unanimously adopted a resolution that denounces terrorism and calls for intensified cooperation among governments and the air transport industry to keep air travel safe.
Tony Tyler, director general and CEO of IATA, said, “The foundation stone of security has been rocked by tragedy. In the last twelve months, terrorists have laid claim to atrocities involving Metrojet 9268, Daallo 159, and at Brussels Airport. These are grim reminders that aviation is vulnerable. Airlines rely on governments to keep passengers and employees secure as part of their responsibility for national security. And we are committed to working with them in that challenging task.”
The resolution calls for airlines and airports to work together along with other key stakeholders to counter the risk of terrorist threats. It also urges governments to commit all possible resources, particularly intelligence resources, to fighting the use of aviation for terrorist acts. It calls on governments to share relevant information to ensure that measures to prevent and respond to terrorist acts are appropriate and effective.
The recent attack on Brussels Airport highlighted the importance of security in landside public areas at the airport. IATA believes that risks in these public areas can be mitigated with efficient passenger processing systems that reduce crowds in the landside area.
IATA is working with several partners to implement its Fast Travel initiative, designed to expedite passenger processing with self-service options. Internet check-in and home-printed baggage tags allow the passenger to arrive at the airport ready to travel, thereby reducing passenger dwell time in landside areas of the airport.
“Intelligence is the most powerful tool that governments have to protect their citizens, whether they’re at work, in their homes or traveling,” concludes Tyler. “One of the biggest risks are large crowds. The industry is helping to bolster these efforts with practical measures such as Smart Security and Fast Travel that will mitigate risk by reducing airport queues.”