Transport Minister Steven Joyce has today released a summary of a review of aviation security, which was ordered by the last government following an alleged hijacking attempt in February last year.

The review assessed the risks in New Zealand’s domestic aviation environment to see if current levels of security were adequate.

The review identified areas of high risk associated with unscreened passengers and carry-on baggage on domestic flights of less than 90 passenger seats, and identified options for security measures that could be put in place to manage the risk.

Mr Joyce says the Cabinet is yet to make decisions on what actions it will take as a result of the report.

“These are challenging and important decisions.”

The report identifies enhanced passenger, crew and carry-on baggage screening as the best option for bolstering aviation security. 

It notes that the costs associated with this would likely be around $5 per passenger on each additional screened flight. That cost would likely be passed on to passengers on those flights.

Other possible measures include strengthening cockpit doors, security committees at airports and enhanced training and education for airport and airlines workers.

Mr Joyce says he expects Cabinet to make decisions next month.

The summary document can be viewed at www.transport.govt.nz

Domestic Aviation Security Review – Q & A

Why was the Domestic Aviation Security Review done?

The previous government asked for a review in response to the alleged hijacking of a flight from Blenheim to Christchurch on 8 February 2008. The review did not simply respond to that one event and instead undertook a comprehensive system-wide assessment of the domestic aviation security system.

What is the major issue that the review raises?

The major issue raised by the review is, what level of risk is acceptable on domestic flights, given the high costs of screening more people?

What were the findings of the review?

The review identified areas of risk.  It focused on the high area of risk associated with unscreened passengers and carry-on baggage on domestic flights of less than 90 passenger seats.  The review identified security measures that could be put in place to manage this risk.

What is the most effective way to manage the risk?

Screening passengers, crew and their carry-on baggage is the only effective way to stop weapons being taken on board an aircraft. 

Many other security measures to address this risk were assessed, including strengthened flight deck barriers, enhanced training and education for airport and airline staff, and security committees at airports.  While some of these measures would contribute to increased security when used in combination with screening, they do not provide the level of assurance that screening does against weapons being taken on board an aircraft. 

The ability to manage and control aviation security risks is limited by the fact that once an aircraft is airborne the range of controls available to counter threats is very limited.

How were the risks identified?

Risk is calculated from a combination of factors.

• Threat levels are used to inform the likelihood of an event occurring. 

• Risk = Likelihood x Consequence.  Risk is a combination of the likelihood (i.e. threat) of a specific incident occurring and the consequences of the incident.

The Combined Threat Assessment Group (CTAG) assessed that the current threat from terrorists is VERY LOW and the threat from acutely disaffected people is currently MEDIUM. 

The review focussed on the high risk arising from unscreened passengers.  The high level of risk is driven by the catastrophic consequences that could result from a violent incident in the air, and not by the likelihood of the event.

What security measures do we currently have in place and how does this compare to other countries?

In New Zealand, 57 percent of all passengers on domestic flights are currently screened.  This screening covers all passengers flying on aircraft of over 90 seats (i.e. jets).

Australia and Canada screen 96 percent and 99 percent of all domestic passengers respectively. 

How much does current domestic screening cost?

The Aviation Security Service charges airlines $4.66 (GST incl) per departing passenger per sector for those passengers that it screens.  Airlines pass this cost onto passengers in the ticket price.

If additional domestic screening was introduced, what airports would be affected and how many passengers would this cover?

The review looked at all airports that provide regular passenger flights – currently there are 29 in New Zealand.  The review determined that introducing screening at the smaller airports would be prohibitively expensive.

The two main options that were developed for additional screening were:

10 Airports

• Screening all passengers departing on aircraft of 19 or more passenger seats from New Zealand’s ten busiest airports: Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Nelson, Dunedin, Queenstown, Palmerston North, Hawke’s Bay, Hamilton and Rotorua. This option would result in 92 percent of all passenger capacity being screened, including 59 percent of all 19-seat aircraft. 

14 Airports

• Screening all passengers departing on aircraft of 19 or more passenger seats from New Zealand’s 14 busiest airports: Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Nelson, Dunedin, Queenstown, Palmerston North, Hawke’s Bay, Hamilton, Rotorua, New Plymouth, Invercargill, Tauranga, and Blenheim.  This option would result in 97 percent of all passenger capacity being screened, including 72 percent of all 19-seat aircraft.

If additional domestic screening was introduced how much would it cost?

Screening is expensive and creates costs for airports, airlines, government and ultimately passengers.  Conversely, while improving general aviation security and awareness, non screening measures do not mitigate the areas of high risk although they are much lower in cost.

Assuming all costs are passed onto passengers, the total cost per passenger per extra screened flight for each of the screening options listed above is expected to range from $4.88 to $5.41 per passenger.

When is the government going to make decisions?

The government is currently considering the Review report, and Cabinet will make a decision on next steps next month?

How can I see a copy of the review summary?

A copy of the summary document is available on the Ministry of Transport website www.transport.govt.nz