IATA Want Adoption Of COF

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), has stressed the need for the overhaul of airport security screening and the adoption of its Checkpoint of the Future (COF), a supply chain approach to cargo security, harmonisation of measures among governments and constant vigilante to new threats.

The IATA’s Director-General, Tony Tyler who gave this advice said “COF introduces a risk-based approach support by advanced technology to allow passengers to move through the checkpoint without stopping, unpackaging or desrobing”.

According to him, “today’s security checkpoint was developed in the 1970s when hijackers carrying metal weapons were the threat.

It is a 40-year old concept that needs to fundamentally change.  We have added layers of process in response to threats and events but we have not made it any more intelligent because we do not use the information that is collated on passengers to power a risk-based approach”, he added.

Meanwhile, the International Air Transport Association has decried the United State’s proposal to double the 9/11 passenger security fee as part of its deficit reduction plan.

The director-general of IATA who stated this said “airlines and passengers are being asked to pay for national security, although it is clearly a responsibility of government”.

To add insult to injury, more than half of the increased revenue from the higher fee will be diverted into the general fund and will not be used to make a travel more secure”, he added.

Passengers travelling from US airport pay security fee of $2.50 per flight segment with a cap of 5 one-way and $10 per round trip.  The proposal would raise the fee to $5 for all one-way trip and $10 per round trip.

For majority of passengers who do not connect or change flight during their journey, this presents a doubling of the change under the proposal. The round trip charge would increase by $1 per year between 2013 and 2017.