Airports Council International (ACI) World and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) have launched a new global qualification program for airport safety professionals and civil aviation regulators.
According to ACI and ICAO, the program ACI/ICAO Airport Safety Professional (ASP) program is designed by industry leaders from both organizations and validates an individual’s dedication and expertise by promoting professional excellence in the field of airport airside operations. Graduates will be able to use the industry designation of ASP which is an addition to the global ACI-ICAO International Airport Professional management designation of IAP.
“The safety of our passengers and collaborators is our number one priority, and this new program promotes ACI’s leading practices alongside ICAO industry safety standards and recommended practices, giving students an invaluable/extensive learning experience,” explained ACI World director general Luis Felipe de Oliveira.
“This program was developed through our strong relationship with ICAO and our joint efforts to offer only the highest quality of training in the industry. Partnerships like this, forged with our global partners, are key in promoting the development of the entire aviation ecosystem and providing the skills and expertise needed to carry the industry through recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.”
To be accredited as an Airport Safety Professional and awarded the ASP designation, candidates must pass the online validation exam within one year after successfully completing the required mandatory courses and elective course. The mandatory and elective courses must be completed within a three-year timeframe.
Concurrently, ACI World has also published its Airport Security Risk Assessment Handbook which is designed to assist airports in understanding threats, assessing associated risks, and allocating resources where they are most needed.
According to ACI, it has identified that risk assessment can be over-complicated, with unrealistic assumptions made about potential vulnerabilities. The handbook provides a step-by-step breakdown of a risk assessment process and has been developed in response to industry requests for updated guidance. The new handbook covers:
- Guidance on best practices and methodologies that can be applied to security risk assessment to help airports prioritize and manage risks;
- A case study on insider threat, and examples from airports on how risk assessments are conducted; and
- Global best practices and real-life experience from ACI’s member airports and experts in the field.
“Our members have told us that risk assessment is as an area where more guidance and training is needed,” highlighted de Oliveira. “This handbook brings together best practices and methodologies that can be applied to security risk assessment that help airports identify their top priorities.”
The handbook includes guidance on recognizing plausible threat scenarios, assessing the likelihood and impact of an attack occurring, and considering measures already in place to address the risk and possible solutions to address the concern. ACI hopes that it will help airports to tailor a risk assessment to their own reality, considering their operation and their national threat and risk picture.