ASSA-I Call for a More Stringent and Quality Based Approach to Cargo Security Globally

BRUSSELS, November 3, 2010 - In light of the recent mail bombs discovered on board of cargo jets in
the United Kingdom and Dubai, the Aviation Security Services Association
International (ASSA-I) is calling for the quality of the screening methods
used for cargo, on both freight planes and passenger flights, to be enhanced
across the globe.

In the United States, new Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
rules that took effect in August 2010 require that every piece of cargo
should be checked for explosives. However, these rules do not cover goods
coming in from the European Union (EU) and other third countries.
Furthermore, similar rules do not exist currently in the EU. Since August
2010, U.S. aviation officials have been pressing the EU to require the
X-raying of every package placed on passenger planes, however to date this
call has been met with resistance because of the costs and logistics involved
in screening of this magnitude.

In relation to the recent bomb scares, ASSA-I General Secretary Hilde De
Clerck commented: "ASSA-I stresses the need for a more global and stringent
approach to cargo security, based on a high quality approach that combines
the installation of the appropriate technology to screen these goods and well
trained security guards to handle these technologies adequately. ASSA-I
believes that the aviation industry is a global business and there is a need
for effective security regimes across the world."

Cargo is increasingly screened by X-ray machines and handheld wands.
However, certain X-Ray machines are not an effective tool to screen bulk
cargo because of the large size and number of items that need to be
inspected. As a consequence, ASSA-I stresses the need to look into
alternative screening methods for cargo security, such as explosive detection
dogs, which are not yet generally accepted as an effective screening method.

About ASSA-I

The Aviation Security Services Association - International (ASSA-I)
represents the private security companies providing security services at
airports and for airlines. The aim of ASSA-I is to defend the interest of the
aviation security providers in national, European and International fora and
to promote high-quality security services.

For further information please contact: Hilde De Clerck, General Secretary ASSA-I, c/o Roxanne Vande Zande, T (+32)2-476-09-43-00, F (+32)2-460-14-31, www.assa-int.org, mailto:rvz at i-b-s.be