On the wings: aircrews and ground guards will be trained to combat aviation threats
Airline crews and airport specialists will be trained for new threats to transportation security. The Ministry of Transport will introduce a new program in aviation from March 2025, Izvestia has found out. Special forces for its protection will be reformed, and air crews will be trained to counteract terrorist threats and aviation troublemakers. In addition, they plan to create a unified information system for the interaction of various services. Why this program is needed - in the material "Izvestia".
For the aviation industry will prescribe new safety rules
Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation has prepared a program to ensure safety in air transport. Izvestia has familiarized itself with the relevant draft order of the department. The program should bring the Russian infrastructure closer to the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and reflect the requirements of international treaties of the Russian Federation in the field of civil aviation protection. In the future, it is expected to improve the rating of domestic aviation, which with the imposition of sanctions was reduced by ICAO to the red zone, experts believe. At the same time, the Ministry of Transport has also prepared a training program for specialists of transport security forces (STB).
The restructuring of aviation security forces became possible after the entry into force of amendments from April 3, 2023 to the law "On Transport Security", which now replaces some chapters of the Air Code. The Ministry of Transport's program will clarify the legal priorities between the two.
The ministry is charged with training personnel, maintaining a register of infrastructure and vehicles. A unified information system will be created for the interaction of various services belonging to different companies and agencies.
A source in the air transportation market explained that the changes were outlined as part of the global process of replacing Aviation Security Services (ASS) with transport security forces and updating existing orders and bylaws. In fact, the personnel included in the STB of the industry entities has existed since 2011 and is regulated by the Air Code, and its training has been going on for 10 years, the source said. However, in 2025 there will be a departure from the dual regulation of services. After the changes to FZ-16 come into force, this law "On Transport Security" will actually replace Chapter 12 of the Air Code "Aviation Security".
There are concepts of "flight safety" and "aviation safety" (aka transportation safety). The former refers to the provision and performance of flights, but the latter is the protection of air transport from illegal acts and other interference in the activities of aviation enterprises, Roman Gusarov, editor-in-chief of the Avia.ru portal and aviation expert, told Izvestia. The aviation security system has existed for a long time, and since 2011 it has become a part of transportation security according to the federal legislation. Despite the fact that the Russian aviation security system is recognized as one of the most perfect and strict in the world, it is still in constant development in the context of the alarming international situation, says the expert.
Some units control airport perimeters, entrances and exits, others monitor aircraft parking lots, others provide airplanes with on-board supplies, food and kitchen utensils, and others inspect passengers and baggage. There are also services for service maintenance and equipment condition control.
- The aviation security service is subordinate to the airport management. However, there are also representatives of law enforcement agencies, such as the police, the Federal Border Guard Service, etc.," Roman Gusarov continues.
The Russian Federation has strict regulations for screening citizens at airports, and there are additional checkpoints at the entrance to airport buildings, which is not always the case in Europe or other countries, the expert notes.
"Izvestia" sent inquiries to the Ministry of Transport, Rosaviatsia, major airlines and airports.
Air safety will be improved according to ICAO standards
Special attention should be paid to crew training in emergency situations, aviation expert Oleg Panteleyev told Izvestia. But in general, transportation security depends on the work of ground services designed to prevent illegal penetration beyond security perimeters.
- For example, there are international innovations of ICAO on baggage inspection, on admission of service personnel to the "clean zone", in bringing foodstuffs, so that some bribed technician does not bring a bomb on board, - told "Izvestia" the founder of RunAvia flight safety service, aviation expert Andrei Patrakov. - All this should be taken into account in the formation of transportation security forces.
Even such a trivial matter as interaction with aircraft troublemakers requires proper behavior and training, explained Roman Gusarov from Avia.ru. Formally, these are crew members, but transportation security functions extend to them as well. They are allowed to use special means, handcuffs and belts. Although airlines are legally responsible to passengers, including debauchees. The contract of carriage assumes that people will be delivered to their destination without bodily injury, so every act of force is a risk of lawsuits, the expert stressed.
Since we do not have the institute of air marshals, the crews sometimes act within their authority. Gas cans cannot be used, as well as stun guns, which can burn a pacemaker or aircraft electronics. The flight attendant team is diluted with tough young men with big fists, and without self-control they can make a mess of things.
- Not only physical data of flight attendants are important for safety, but also their psycho-emotional qualities. After all, in interaction with air disobedient people it is often not force that is needed, but the ability to calm down and settle the conflict, - Oleg Panteleyev continued.
In the program of the Ministry of Transport separate lines are specified requirements for psychophysiological qualities of employees of transport security forces.
In general, the program applies not to individual units, but to the entire security ecosystem in civil aviation, added Andrei Patrakov. Aviation training centers, which will be accredited by Rosaviatsia, will also be updated.
It will be necessary to rebuild the STB to bring them to the international standards of ICAO, because there are too many gaps. According to him, about half of ICAO requirements are not fulfilled in Russia. If it will be possible to modernize the industry according to the accepted standards, it will be one of the most large-scale changes in transport security since the Soviet times, the expert believes.
