France Implements One-Stop Security

For immediate release
Date: 07 May 2009 No: 19
News

Geneva - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) welcomed France’s adoption of One-Stop Security. Passengers that have already been screened at a European airport will not need to be screened a second time when making flight connections. High security standards are maintained, but the hassle of connecting is reduced.
With this decision, France is joining the majority of the EU countries that already allow One-Stop Security for passengers arriving from another EU airport.
In France, One-Stop Security for passengers and their hand luggage will be applied to individual airports this year, starting with Lyon and selected terminals at Paris Charles de Gaulle. IATA estimates that this will impact 6 million passengers and save US$30 million a year with no compromise on the quality of security being applied. “It is a waste of time, effort and resources to ask passengers to stand again at security if they have already been checked by a competent screening authority a few hours earlier. This frustrates passengers and drains scarce security resources. The business case for One-Stop Security is clear: faster, hassle-free connections for passengers and lower security costs for everyone involved. There is no compromise on quality. I urge other states - particularly the UK and Ireland - to come on board quickly,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO.
The next step is to integrate One-Stop Security into the global system. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is working on developing the concept of One-Stop Security to promote it on a global scale. “The key is common recognition of standards. We need more governments to exchange information with each other and conclude security agreements that recognise their security measures as equivalent. This is a global industry with a great track record on safety because of global standards and international cooperation including industry and governments. We must approach security with the same mindset. This is no time for complacency”, said Bisignani.
One-Stop Security is an IATA priority within its security strategy based on threat and risk assessment, innovation, technology and cost-efficiency.
-IATA-