Warren Truss
Minister for Transport and Regional Services
Deputy Leader of The Nationals
M E D I A R E L E A S E
Tim Langmead - Media Adviser 02 6277 7680 0418 221 433
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[email protected] www.ministers.dotars.gov.au DOTARS06/036WT 28 March 2006
Aviation Security Identification Card distribution on track
The Australian Government Minister for Transport and Regional Services, Warren Truss, today said that pilots who had applied to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) before 31 December 2005 for an Aviation Security Identification Card (ASIC), and have been found eligible, can expect to receive their new card before the end of March.
Mr Truss said it is expected that by the end of this week over 10,000 ASIC cards will have been distributed to pilots by CASA.
“The background checking of these 10,000 pilots has been a massive undertaking whichhas involved CASA, the Australian Federal Police, ASIO, the Department of Immigration and my Department,” Mr Truss said. “Other pilots will have ASICs that have been issued by other agencies.”
Mr Truss said CASA was now focused on following up those pilots who had provided incomplete applications. Further background checking of some other applicants is also continuing.
“In this kind of massive security exercise the integrity of personal identification documents which are used as the basis for background checking is vital,” he said. “We simply can not accept a lesser standard of application, nor fail to follow up possible security issues, otherwise we risk undermining the integrity of the entire system. CASA continues to work with pilots to resolve outstanding issues with their applications,” he said.
Mr Truss said it was also of concern that some pilots had not submitted applications at all.
"I remind pilots who require an ASIC and have not applied that they may face a penalty of $550 for each failure to display an ASIC at a security regulated airport. After 31 March 2006, all persons are required to display an ASIC when in the secure area of an airport that has regular public transport services,” Mr Truss said.
Mr Truss said that from 1 April 2006 Transport Security Inspectors will be routinely checking that pilots have their ASICs.
“If a pilot has applied by the 31 December deadline and is eligible to be issued with an ASIC, but due to exceptional circumstances has not received a card, the pilot will receive fair treatment,” Mr Truss said.
Since 1 July 2005 over 72,000 background checks have been processed for participants in the aviation industry. Mr Truss said significant improvements had been made to ASIC processing systems over recent months and cards were now being issued faster than ever before.
“CASA has dedicated additional resources and had been working closely with the security checking agencies to improve the pilot ASIC processing systems,” he said.
Media release from the Hon Warren Truss MP - Minister for Transport and Regional Services Page 2
Mr Truss said pilots who have not yet applied for an ASIC can now make an application through the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). To find out more details about applying for an ASIC, call 1300 737 032 or log on to the CASA website,
www.casa.gov.au.
An ASIC indicates that the holder has been background checked and is eligible to enter a secure area of an airport. The holder of an ASIC does not have an automatic right to access such areas. Access to the secure area of an airport remains at the discretion of the airport operator in accordance with the airport's transport security program. ENDS