The Civil Aviation Department (CAD) today (October 30) launched the Regulated Air Cargo Screening Facilities (RACSF) Scheme for facilitating the establishment and operation of air cargo security screening facilities at off-airport locations, and invited interested parties of the air cargo industry to enrol in the Scheme.
To enhance the level of aviation security in view of the rising threats of terrorism around the globe, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has issued a new policy direction whereby one way to strengthen air cargo security, apart from enhancing the Regulated Agent Regime, is to have all air cargo subject to security screening by June 30, 2021.
"Hong Kong is in full support of and has the obligation to meet the ICAO aviation security requirements. The Government has been working closely with the air cargo industry in enhancing the air cargo security regime to meet the new international aviation security requirements," a CAD spokesman said.
Security screening of air cargo in Hong Kong now primarily takes place at the cargo terminals of the airport. To meet the new ICAO requirement and in view of Hong Kong's high volume of cargo throughput, Hong Kong's air cargo screening capacity has to gradually increase over the next few years. It is therefore necessary to allow the security screening of air cargo at off-airport locations.
"Following trade consultation, we have introduced the RACSF Scheme, which is a new initiative to enable and regulate air cargo screening at off-airport locations. The establishment of off-airport screening facilities will enable air cargoes to be screened at the existing warehouses or similar premises of the air cargo industry before such cargoes are transported to the airport for loading onto aircraft," the spokesman said.
The operation of off-airport air cargo screening facilities has to meet specific security requirements in terms of screening equipment, training and supervision of screening personnel, site security and so on. There are also security requirements to observe insofar as post-screening handling and transportation are concerned.
More information about the RACSF Scheme, including the application form, is available from CAD's website (www.cad.gov.hk/english/icao2021.html). Interested parties can now submit applications to the Aviation Security Section of the Airport Standards Division of the CAD by one of the following methods:
– by mail to: Level 5, Office Building, Civil Aviation Department Headquarters, 1 Tung Fai Road, Hong Kong International Airport, Lantau, Hong Kong
– by fax to: 2362 4257
– by e-mail to racsf@cad.gov.hk
The deadline for submitting applications for the initial stage is December 31, 2018.
"Parties interested in operating off-airport air cargo screening facilities are encouraged to submit applications by the deadline of the initial stage. This is to enable the parties to secure early acceptance by the CAD," the spokesman said.
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