CANADA
On Wednesday (25/02), Police were called to a WestJet B737, preparing to depart Montreal Airport (YUL) for Toronto (YYZ) after crew reported the unspecified suspicious behaviour of a male pax on board. The pax had apparently been on board the same aircraft for the YYZ/YUL sector, and had rebooked on the return leg despite the quick turn round. The pax was removed from the flight by Police. All other pax were evacuated from the aircraft, which was then searched by Police using explosives detection dogs. Nothing unusual was found. The suspicious pax was released a short time later.
INDIA
On Friday (26/02), an investigation was launched after a security breach at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Airport (DEL) when an aircraft arriving from Hyderabad (HYD) was forced to abort it’s landing and go around after an air traffic controller saw a naked man lying in the middle of the active runway. The drunk male had climbed a 10ft perimeter fence before making his way to Runway 29. He was detained by the CISF.
On Saturday (27/02), it was reported that Police at Cochin Airport (COK) arrested two baggage handlers in connection with theft from passenger’s bags. The two loaders were later charged with theft of money from baggage on an Air India flight from Mumbai (BOM). In a separate operation, seven loaders employed by the handling agent, Livewel, were arrested in connection with the theft of 50 mobile phones from a consignment due to be sent to London.
IRELAND
On Tuesday (23/02), DHS Secretary, Janet Napolitano, announced the expansion of pre-clearance services for general aviation aircraft departing Shannon Airport (SNN) for the United States beginning March 1st. The pre-inspection facility, which is already used by scheduled traffic between the two countries gives DHS the ability to clear passengers and baggage prior to departure. Pre-cleared pax do not need to undergo an additional inspection upon arrival in the US.
UNITED KINGDOM
On Wednesday (24/02), two men appeared in court after they were arrested for criminal damage to a number of aircraft in a hangar at Dundee Airport (DND). The two men had been drinking in the city centre when they climbed the perimeter fence and enter the restricted area at DND. They broke into three aircraft, entered the cockpit of one, and sprayed five aircraft with a fire extinguisher, causing more than £8000 worth of damage. Police arrived at the scene to find one of the men straddling a plane covered in foam, and wearing a pink cowboy hat. The pair admitted entering the restricted zone and discharging a fire extinguisher over five aircraft, making them unsafe to operate. Both were ordered to pay compensation for the damage caused.
On Thursday (25/02), a Turkish student was fined £2000 after he pleaded guilty to a breach of the peace by acting in a disorderly manner and placing members of the public in a state of fear and alarm at Inverness Airport (INV). The 23 year old felt he was being picked on, when he told a security screener that he may have a bomb in his bag. He also claimed to have a gun. He apologised to the court for his behaviour.
UNITED STATES
On Monday (22/02), a contract IT worker at Raleigh-Durham Airport (RDU) was arrested after he used his SIDA badge to help a Delta passenger bypass the security screening area. The worker met his female friend in the check-in area, and offered to facilitate her through to the restricted zone. The staff member’s actions were observed by a member of TSA, who called RDU Police. He was later charged with disorderly conduct. The female pax was charged with second-degree trespassing. Both charges are misdemeanors. The man had been employed by ServiceTec International to maintain flight information video displays. His SIDA badge was confiscated, and he was required to quit the airport.
On Monday (22/02), a GAO report stated that although the State Department developed a comprehensive set of controls to govern the operation and management of a digital signature on the chip of each e-passport it issues, DHS is not able to fully verify the digital signatures because it has not deployed e-passport readers to all of its ports of entry. Because the value of security features depends not only on design, but also on an inspection process that uses them, the additional security against forgery and counterfeiting that could be provided by the inclusion of computer chips on e-passports issued by the United States and other countries is not being fully utilised. Go to the Resources page for the full report.
On Wednesday (25/02), a number of Pakistani media outlets reported that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has informed passengers about enhanced TSA screening for pax travelling from New York (JFK) to Pakistan. PIA said that TSA has notified them that Pakistani citizens would automatically be treated as selectees, and as such would be given additional body and cabin baggage searches. PIA has also advised pax to be at JFK at least five hours prior to departure, and that the PIA check-in would now close 1 hour and 15 minutes before departure.
TSA Weekly Stats (15th - 21st February, 2010)
6 artfully concealed prohibited items found at checkpoints
19 firearms found at checkpoints
5 pax arrested due to suspicious behaviour or fraudulent travel documents
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