Airports and airlines step up safety precautions in response to the terrorist attack on the United States (883 words)

Published: 9/12/2001

In response to the events on 11th September in New York and Washington, Alexander Neradko, Head of the GSGA has issued guidelines to improve security in the Russian air transport system. The measures include the following: 1. More rigid application of the identity pass regime within civil aviation companies and organisations, with no entry without a valid pass. All existing passes for non-civil aviation companies and individuals to airports have been declared invalid. 2. Aircraft to be under guard on the ground and checked thoroughly before flights, accompanied by increased checks on persons and luggage. The rigorousness of luggage checks at check in counters should be improved along with the checking of documentation at check-in and boarding, with all passengers, including VIPs, passing through checks. 3. VIP facilities to be closed. 4. Crews must not open cockpit doors during flights and the doors must be closed at all times 5. The FSB (Federal Security Service) and the transportation militia (police) should work in close co-operation with civil aviation companies and organisations to improve security. 6. Any breach of air space regulations over cities and zones surrounding sensitive area such as military plants must be reported immediately to the military authorities. 7. All airlines are required to ensure that flights conform to filed flight plans and ensure the operation of onboard flight and cockpit voice recorders and identifying codes; the latter to be passed to the GSGA as soon as possible. 8. Russian aircraft without recognised codes are banned from flying with the exception of foreign aircraft used by Russian airlines and already known to aviation authorities. 9. Light aircraft, general aviation aircraft, private aircraft, training aircraft are temporarily banned from flying. 10. Emergency axes must be removed from aircraft. The GSGA reports that it is co-ordinating its actions with the Ministry of Defence, FSB, and Ministry of Internal Affairs and has contacted colleagues in the United States, Canada, and Israel to liaise and share relevant information related to these new regulations. As a result of the closure of both US and Israeli air space, Aeroflot has postponed flight to the two destinations with flights due to leave on the 12th and 13th September delayed until the 14th - 16th. Passengers have been offered refunds and Aeroflot reports that most were relieved not to be making the journey in the circumstances. The two Aeroflot aircraft en route from Moscow to New York and Chicago landed in Canada. Aeroflot said that its 735 passengers are waiting in hotels in the US for their flights. Aeroflot is also taking specific safety measures to comply with the GSGA's instructions, although Aeroflot's General Director Valery Okulov said that, in Russia, it is less likely for terrorists to access the pilot's cabin, since Russian aircraft keep the door closed between the cockpit and passenger cabin after previous hijacking incidents, while the foreign airlines have allowed passenger visits to the cockpit. Svetlana Volodina of Krasnoyarsk Airlines (KrasAir) confirmed that all Russian airlines, including KrasAir, received instructions from the GSGA on 11th September, outlining the tightened security measures. On 12th September, KrasAir's management held an extraordinary meeting on the subject and discussed measure to prevent possible breaches in security. Under these measures, access to Krasnoyarsk Airport (controlled by KrasAir) is to be heavily controlled, with aircraft and important sites on the airport guarded. The airline has cancelled all car passes allowing travel into controlled zones of the airport for cars of third parties and individuals. The company has also banned the use of VIP lounges for unauthorised personnel. The company has implemented a complete check of both aircraft and crews. The airline's security service has stepped up luggage, cabin luggage and passenger checks. KrasAir has co-ordinated its actions with the FSB in the Krasnoyarsk region. Archangelsk Airlines (AVL) reported that both AVL and Archangelsk Airport have taken measures to improve security, and that the airport increased the number of guards and cancelled unauthorised automotive access to the runway area. All passengers are being checked thoroughly and luggage checked by hand. Both AVL and the Archangelsk Airport have met with representatives of the border guards, customs control and militia to co-ordinate security efforts. AVL also briefed pilots to instruct them on the GSGA's regulations regarding airspace and to ensure the security of the flight deck. AVL has broadcast messages to waiting passengers asking them to be extra vigilant. According to AVL, many of the measures come on top of the tightening of regulations after the hijack of a Vnukovo Tu-154 in March 2001 by Chechen terrorists. Other airports are also taking additional precautions. Sheremetyevo Airport reports that its security services are particularly looking for knives in passengers' bags and the militia has increased its presence at the city's airports, although the authorities say that security is already at a high level as a result of Russia's own internal security problems. Russia has experienced a number of hijack incidents in the last ten years, largely perpetrated by Chechen terrorists. The most recent incident occurred in March 2001. Another hijack in 2000 involved an aircraft flying from Makhachkala to Moscow that, in contrast with the March hijack, ended in Israel without loss of life.

Article ID: 2755