The Airports Council International (ACI) World Governing Board has called for urgent consideration for alternative solutions to the recent ban on electronic items on certain flights.
The ban by the US and UK is only for flights coming from selected airports across the globe.
The ACI has said information sharing and coordination on security measures among governments and with the industry is crucial to ensure effective security, but inconsistency in the application of security measures does not lead to security effectiveness and may result in moving the threat to other locations rather than addressing it.
The body added that the current implementations lead to passenger confusion and commercial distortions for airlines and airports.
In the short term, the ACI suggests one solution could be for additional explosive detection capabilities to be deployed at boarding gates, and the use of ‘state of the art’ technology for cabin baggage screening – in this regard, the ACI Governing Board said it fails to understand why proposals made by Istanbul Atatürk Airport have not been considered.
In addition to this example, the ACI claims it is critical that states work with industry and security equipment manufacturers to enable a collaborative approach to implementing sustainable, cost-effective advanced screening systems and solutions that are suitable for use in both large and small airport environments, support research and development, and streamline certification processes.