Wirraway

Fri "Melbourne Age"

Pilots to undergo ASIO checks
By Orietta Guerrera
Canberra
December 5, 2003

All pilots and trainee pilots will undergo background checks by ASIO and other agencies before receiving tamper-proof photographic licences under new aviation security measures.

Federal Transport Minister John Anderson and Justice and Customs Minister Chris Ellison yesterday released a $93 million security package for the aviation industry, largely funded from the surplus of the Ansett ticket levy.

All staff servicing aircraft at Australian airports will be required to hold aviation security identification cards. Pilots will also have to undergo background checks by July next year before being issued new licences.

"Today's announcement of measures, matched with the Aviation Transport Security Bill currently before Parliament, greatly strengthens the already robust framework we put in place after the events of September 11," Mr Anderson said.

All airports will be required to upgrade security, with a $14 million grant program established to help smaller airports. The package also requires hardened cockpit doors to be installed on all aircraft with more than 30 seats.

Twenty Australian Federal Police officers will act as protective security liaison officers at 11 airports, costing $12.8 million. Senator Ellison said they will oversee information-sharing between law enforcement officers, intelligence agencies and the airline industry.

An Office of Transport Security will also be set up and a further $8.4 million will go towards trials of technology to detect explosives and drugs.

Opposition transport spokesman Martin Ferguson said the measures were too little, too late. The Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Airport Security Union said the package failed to guarantee security at regional airports.

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Eurocap

What about all those aircrew who work for airlines operating internationally into Australia?

Sperm Bank

And what about all the ground crews working around Oz at the moment. I went through security at Syd the other morning and 2 of the lads were speaking arabic to each other. Before you jump on the brain dead racist band wagon, I just thought to myself at the time that in light of current events, it was an interesting choice of applicants.

Redpanda

Everyone who currently holds an ASIC card has to re-apply for it before June 04. We will now cop a criminal history background check, a politically motivated violence check and a citizenship check as well...... With all details sent to Customs for good measure! Apparently, 43% of all ASIC cards are issued to people of Middle Eastern descent.

Disco Stu

Just a small quote from the above article

"All pilots and trainee pilots will undergo background checks by ASIO and other agencies before receiving tamper-proof photographic licences under new aviation security measures."

I take it these new licences will be ICAO compliant and a NPRM issued for industry comment on the proposed change.

Yeh right

Disco Stu

Tinstaafl

G'day Stu!

These new book licences give me the ****s. They're exactly like the pommy/JAR ones (but with a better quality cover). Large & unwieldy. Not even breast pocket sized like our old book licence. Why they couldn't keep CC sized licences is beyond me. D!ickheads.

currawong

Are we to believe the new license will make the asic redundant?

Or will we require both?

No doubt it is newer so it will cost more.

To run checks that are already done.... what a joke.

Trouble is, as usual, the joke is on us.

Sheep Guts

So what about all us expats around the world ? Do we have to come home to get this done?


Sheep

Disco Stu

This announcement smacks of political expediency, or in other words a politician shooting from the hip as so often happens.

Hopefully somebody will set him straight about the form of the licence being iaw ICAO format. And seeing as how some bureaucrat ponced of to Montreal and signed away Australian sovereignty we now have to do things the ICAO way

G'Day Tinny, got to agree with you wrt the current licence. Come to think about it, I don't even know where my "new" one is. Gee I'm really worried too

Disco Stu

Dog One

Where is the thinking power - hardened cockpit doors are to be fitted to aircraft with a capacity of more than 30 passengers. Good thinking - what about the Brasilia it only carries 30 pax. So if we operate a Saab or a Dash we have to fit new cockpit doors , but if we operate a Brasilia, we don't. So are the passengers carried in a Brasilia less safe than those carried in a Dash 8?

ftrplt

Rome wasnt built in a day

Rich-Fine-Green

Food for thought;

As a student licence is issued after a medical and prior to first solo;

How long will the ASIO checks hold up the licence issue?.

Currently, the FBI checks in the USA take quite a few weeks!.

What happens when the surplus levy fund runs out?.

The taxpayer won't fund it - the costs will then pass back to the industry.

Capt Claret

I suspect the reference to Licences, in Wirraway's post is a typo. I believe the story refers to the reissue of ASIC cards for all aviation workers, due by June 2004.

Deaf

From the release

http://www.dotrs.gov.au/transsec/index.aspx

ENHANCED AVIATION SECURITY PACKAGE ANNOUNCED

Quote from Fact Sheet 6 - General Aviation

"Background checking and licensing of pilots

All pilots and trainee pilots will be required to undertake background checking prior to being issued with new photographic licences by 1 July 2004.

Ensuring that pilots and trainee pilots are subject to background checking will reduce the likelihood of persons who might pose a threat to aviation gaining access to aircraft through legitimate means.

The cost of background checking and the photographic licence will be borne by individual pilots. Licences will be valid for two years and will cost around $200.

Please note: Sport aircraft are not included in the category of aircraft required to be secured from theft. Background checking will not be carried out on pilots of sport aircraft and they will not be required to have a photographic licence. "

redsnail

It used to be a background check going back 2 years here. Now it's a check going back 5 years. An absolute pain in the backside for those who haven't been in the UK for 5 years. There's no mention of new photograph licences. If there's money to be made I am suprised the CAA hasn't cottoned on to it. However, we do have to carry photo ID. In most cases the passport will do. We need it any way when wandering around Europe.

Boomerang

By July 2004 hey, "I'd like to see that". And pilots' to pay $200, "tell him he's dreamin"

snarek

It is ASIC cards, it should be licences.

Nice credit card photo id ones, paid for by CASA, it aint that hard.

Not the Toller love affair with JAR licences we have now (I don't even know where mine is, I have kept my DCA one since I never got a CC licence).

AK

whogivesa????

Good point Dog One. What about the 20 odd Metro's Operating regional RPT services in Australia. Are the passengers flying on these flights less of a RISK than those on the Dash and the Saab. Look at REX for example, it has both the Metro and the Saab operating from ML, SY and AD. Their Saab pilots will be secure behind the new doors, but no such luck for their Metro pilots.

frangatang

Wonder if australia is like pommieland,if you work for the
british airline and you are from certain foreign lands they dont do a check on you because they cant get the information,
unlike captain bulldog drummond1

Ozgrade3

So at what point during a students training must the full security check be done, prior to the issue of the Student Licence, or 1st solo. As it takes a good 8-12 weeks to get a new ASIC issued with all the new background checking thats required, I can imagine the issue of new Student Pilot Licences clearance would be a low priority and take even longer.