EU ministers have been asked to change airport security regulations because of problems at small aerodromes near larger airports
European Union (EU) ministers have been urged to change airport security regulations that were hastily introduced in the wake of the September 11 terror attacks because of problems caused at small aircraft and general aviation aerodromes located next to large commercial airports.

Under Regulation EC2320/2002, these airports – which the European Commission considers "for all intents and purposes... separate aerodromes" – currently have to apply the same security standards as imposed on their larger neighbours. This is in spite of the fact that geographically separate small aeroplane and general aviation airports may use lighter security systems as "investment in expensive equipment would be inappropriate".

Instead, Brussels mandarins want Member States to designate areas of large airports as autonomous small aerodromes for security purposes. Their security systems would then be approved by national regulators, and follow a "local risk assessment" which would have to find large airport security standards "disproportionate". Such a liberalisation, states the Commission's proposal, would ultimately depend on a notification procedure being created for flights departing from these special demarcated areas "to ensure that levels of security are not compromised at arriving airports".

The zones would also have to be "separated from other security-restricted areas of an airport by means of access control", and their commercial flights would have to be limited to aircraft with less than ten tonnes maximum take-off weight (or less than 20 seats).

Source

SMT