The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a UN agency that develops standards and policies for civil aviation safety and security worldwide. Key points: - ICAO works to ensure safe and orderly growth of civil aviation globally through developing standards for aviation security, air navigation facilities, and flight safety. - In response to incidents like the 1985 hijacking of TWA Flight 847, ICAO established policies like requiring member states to screen passengers, baggage, and employ security agencies at airports to prevent terrorist attacks on civil aviation. - ICAO also created the Universal Security Audit Program to conduct regular, mandatory security audits of member states' compliance with ICAO standards and help address identified deficiencies

1. ICAO
specialized agency of the UN
ensures safe, orderly growth of
civil aviation throughout the world
develops standards of AVSEC
throughout world for
airport, airway, air nav. Facility
development, safety of flight

2. ICAO
• Meets once every 3 years
– Contracting states get 1 vote
– Decisions made by majority vote
– 188 participating member states

3. Annex 17
• 1944 ICAO Convention
– Aircraft in distress
• Humanitarian principle to assist another contract state
if in danger
• Originally for sea vessels, adopted to aircraft during
Chicago Convention
• What event caused the implementation of this policy?

4. Annex 17
Answer:
In 1985 TWA Flt.# 847
Controllers in Beirut and Algiers repeatedly
denied permission of hijacked flight to land.

5. Conventions impacting AVSEC policy:
• Tokyo Convention: 1963
– Unlawful acts onboard that affect safety of flight
• Allow PIC to take reasonable measures to protect pax
onboard
• Ability to have Pax restrained or removed
• How countries should handle hijack aircraft
• Contracting states obligated to take measures to
restore/maintain control to PIC
• County in which aircraft is registered has juristiction
over hijacked aircraft = unclear

6. Hague Convention: 1970
• Hijacking is a distinct offense with a severe
punishment
• “unlawful seizure’ is defined (87)
• Member states obligated to return a seized
aircraft to country of registered aircraft
• Jurisdiction further defined = 1st to registered
state… if unable to respond or recover then goes
to contract state
• Penalties to be imposed not listed for hijacking
– Extradition policies not specified

7. Montreal Convention: 1971
• All contract states now screen pax, baggage, and
employ national security agency at all airports
• Covers any attck on aircraft regardless of inflight or not
– “inflight” defined as doors closed to doors open for
disembarkation
– Added perpetrators of attack not on board:
• Saboteurs
• Bombers
• Facilitators

8. Montreal Convention: 1971
• 5 Offenses:
– Commit act of violence against person on board
that endangers safety of flight
– Destroying/damaging aircraft
– Placing/cause of placement of device/substance
likely to destroy/damage aircraft
– Destroy/interfere with air navigation facilities
– Communicate false info that interferes with safety
(88)

9. Resolution A33-1: Declaration on
Misuse of Civil Aircraft as Weapons of
Destruction and Other Terrorist Acts
Involving Civil Aviation:2001
• ICAO and UN
– Establish audit program relating to airport security
arrangements and civil aviation security program
– Convene an international high-level, miniterial
converence on aviation security
– Strengthen ICAO’s role in adoption of standards and
recommended practices in AVSEC and auditing of their
implementation.

10. Resolution A33-1
• Aviation Security Plan of Action (ASPA)
– Regular, mandatory, systematic, harmonized
audits
• Enable the evaluation of AVSEC in all member states
• Addressed need to identify and assess global resonses
to new threats
• Take action to protect airports, aircraft, ATC centers

11. ICAO Universal Security Audit Program
(USAP)
• ICAO provides it’s own guidance = “How to”
audit
– ICAO would assist with execution of audit
program:
• Contracting state, airport, aircraft operator in
developing programs to addres deficiencies in AVSEC
capabilities.
• Part of larger effort to establish global aviation security
system

12. Universal Security Audit Program
(USAP)
• Each state has complete and exclusive sovereignty over
airspace of it’s territory
• Elements and process of audit are transparent and
made available to all contract states
• All-inclusive and centered on Annex 17 standards
• Audits expected to expand to include other annexes
and recommended practices to ensure implementation
of all appropriate security-related SARPs in contacting
states’ civil aviation systems.
• Each state responsible for aviation security
– Including decision-making powers with respect to
implementing corrective actions related to audit findings

13. Audit Program
• Access control
– Physical security measures
– Background checks
– Personnel identification system design
– Vehicle permits
• Protection fo aircraft
– Preflight precautions
– Aircraft searches
– Control of access to aircraft

14. Audit Program
• Managing responses to unlawful acts
• Airport design
– Security including minimizing effects of explosion
on people and facilities
• Quality control
– Security inspections and audits
– Security tests
– Training of security staff

15. Audit Program
• Security equipment and explosives
– WTMDs (walk through metal detector)
– X-ray machines

16. Audit Program
• Search and evacuation guidelines
• Surface-to-air missiles
• Incident command and emergency operations
• Model airport and aircraft operator security
programs
• Dangerous goods

17. Audit Program Recommendations
• Information regarding use of forged travel
docs should be shared
• Information on actions and movements of
known terrorists should be shard with other
member states
• Commercial explosives material should be
tagged with chemical known as Taggant
– Makes it easier to detect with explosive trace
detection machines

18. Audit Program Recommendations
• Informaton relating to arms and explosives
smuggling should be shared
• Countries must prosecute suspected bombers
or extradite them.

19. Additional Annexes
• Annex 2: allows ATC to direct aircraft under
unlawful interference to deviate and grant
priority landing
• Annex 6: establishes guidance for security of
aircraft = protection fo flight deck, aircraft
search procedures, security training programs
for crewmembers, reporting security incidents

20. Additional Annexes
• Annex 9: security controls must be put into
place to protect aircraft, pax, cargo, but must
not inhibit movement of aircraft, pax cargo
• Annex 10: Aeronautical Telecommunication –
provices method to notify ATC of aircraft
subject to unlawful interference = transponder
code 7500

21. Additional Annexes
• Annex 11: ATC provide max amount of
assistance to aircraft under unlawful
interference
– “provide max assistance including priority
handling, notify and provide info to appropriate
agencies, rescue coordination centers, and other
aircraft…not refer to situation in communications
with aircraft unless it is certaintha tsuch
references will not aggravate the situation.”

22. Additional Annexes
• Annex 13: Aircraft accident and incident investigation
reporting requirements for unlawful interference
incidents
• Annex 14: airport security measures
– Isolated parking position
– Placement of perimeter fencing
– Positioning of airport emergency plan that addresses
hijackings, bombings, and other security incidents
• Annex 18: Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air =
air cargo security; hazmat shipment

23. ATC role in unlawful interference
• Responsible for ensuring greater separation
from other aircraft
• Greater leeway in handling the flight
– Deciding best way to provide assitance
– Enlist aid fo other air traffic services
– Providing flight crew with info on suitable airports
for landing, minimum altitudes, wx

24. ATC role in unlawful interference
• In hijacking:
– Controllers attempt to determine number of
individuals onboard/remaining; presence of
hazmat
– Try to expedite all phases of flight
– Transmit info pertinent to sae conduct of flight to
other agencies
– Monitor and plot progress of flight

25. Role of ATC in unlawful interference
– Coordinate transfer of flight to other ATC facilities
without requiring transmissions or responses from
aircraft
– Advise adjacent ATS unites of progress of flight
– Notify aircraft operator, rescue coordination
centers, and designated security authorities
– Suspected bomb threat = prompt response to
pilot requests
• Air nav procedures and services along route and at
airports of intended landing

26. Role of ATC in unlawful interference
• If crew doesn’t know that bomb hreat has been
received, ATC must advise crew
immediately, determine intention of
crew, provide clearnaces for new destinations
without delay
• Grounded aircraft mst be advised to remain as far
away as possible from other aircraft and facilities
• Controller’s responsibility to direct PIC off runway
to parking area
• Do NOT provide advice or guidance concerning
explosive device

27. U.S. Aviation Policies
• Federal Aviation Act: 1958
– Foundation for policies, procedures, regs currently
practiced
– AVSEC became an issue in 1960
– JFK assigned air marshals to flight in 1961
– Airports joined AVSEC program 1971
• Part 107 (Airport Security) – placed responsibility of
protecting air operations area on an airport from
unauthorized access.

28. • Security regulations are created through:
– Specific acts
– Presidential executive orders
– Amendments attached to funding leglislation

29. Significant U.S. Congressional acts
passed in response to air terrorism
• Anti-Hijacking Act 1971
– USA up to ICAO standards on prevention of
unlawful seizure
– Punishment of hijackers
– Maximum penalty for surrender
– Mandated pax screening

30. Significant U.S. Congressional acts
passed in response to air terrorism
• Anti-Hijacking Act 1974
– Authorized President to suspend air service to
foreign nations that encouraged hijacking
– Authorized Sec. of Transportation to restrict ops of
foreign air carriers within USA
– Required screening of all pax & all property using
“weapons detection” technology
– Enabled airlines to refuse transport to anyone not
consentin to search

31. Significant U.S. Congressional acts
passed in response to air terrorism
– Mandated law enforcement presence at nation’s
commercial service airports
– Placed responsibility for pax screening to air
carriers… what’s the problem?

32. • Act to Combat Terrorism – 1978
– Added req. for airports to notify travelers to
foreign airports that were deemed dangerous to
for use for Americans
– Authorized President to suspect air service to
those countries.

33. • AVSEC Improvement Act of 1990
– Major legislation to change avsec system
– Response to downing of PSA 1771 and bombing of
Pan Am 103
– Revised title 14 CFR Part 107 (Airport Security)
• to include more comprehensive regs on personnel
identification systems and airport access conrol
systems.
• Airport and airline personnel to under go pax
screening.

34. • Pan Am 103:
– Access Control
• Airports and personnel identification systems now required to
keep record of who has authorized accesss to doors, aes, or access
points
• Must immediately prevent individuals without approved access
• Standard raised for personnel identifiation systems – more difficult
to duplicate
– Portable radio found as part of bomb
• Pax required to turn on laptop computers and PEDs at checkpoints
• Why not X-ray the PEDs?
• Restricting laptops and cell phones impacts business travelers =
significant portion fo airline’s revenue.

35. • Employee screening
– Pilot control of aircraft
– Crash axe in cockpit
– Bypass screenings starting to be implemented for
some

36. Aviation Security and antiterrorism Act
- 1996
• TWA 800: JFK-CDG exploded shortly after
takeoff
– Exact cause of crash uncertain
– Security experts claimed it a result of terrorism as
bomb residue was discovered in wreckage
– White House Commission on Aviation Safety and
Security = “Gore Commission”
• Federal government should consider aviation security
to be national security issue and provide funding

37. “Gore Commission”
– Terrorist attacks on civil aviation are directed at USA
– Proactive policy toward aviation security
– AVSEC is government responsibility
– Welcome relief to airline industry
– Over 50 recommendations:
• Security consortium: airport security, law enforcement
personnel, FAA, FBI, other airport stakeholders
• Goals: stay abreast of evolving threats to aviation, develop
strategies and recommendations to counteract threats

38. “Gore Commission”
• Airports conduct vulnerability assessments
– FAA and FBI to conduct joint threat and vulnerability
assessments every 3 years at high risk airports
• DOT, FAA, FBI established formulas to determine
a high risk airport
– Security-sensitive information
• Fingerprint-based criminal history record checks
for all screeners and airport, airline employees
with access to security areas….. Flaws?

39. “Gore Commission”
• Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening
System (CAPPS)
– Pax separated into low-risk and high–risk categories
• Exposive detection systems and trace detections
systems
• Bomb-sniffing dogs
• Aviation Security Advisory Committee (ASAC)
– Industry professionals advise federal gov’t on security
issues

40. • Commercial aircraft search before each flight
and increase inspections of air cargo
– Known shippers program
• Research efforts:
– FBI, CIA, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
(BATF)
• Research known terrorist, hijackers, bombers
• Develop profile indicators tied to automated pax
information system

41. “Gore Commission”
• Not based on race, relgion, national origin
• Airlines not retain pax name data info
• Pax made aware of process and allowed to
decline and not fly
• DoJ review profiling procedures
– Advisory board formed
– Profiling becomes less effective with developmemt of
more eficient screening technology
– Profiling recommend to cease after EDS unites are
fully deployed… controversy?

42. “Gore Commission”
• Security systems testing
– Red teams
• Red team results not admissible for
enforcement proceedings against airport and
airline operators
• Aviation Family Disaster Act – 1996
– Gives NTSB responsibility for aiding families of
aircraft accident victims and coordinating federal
response to major domestic aviation accidents