Israel Matzav

Israeli flight security 'disgraceful'?

The chairman of the International Air Transport Association complains about security at Ben Gurion Airport.

Giovanni Bisignani, director general and CEO of the Air Transport Association (IATA), criticized Israel's flight safety and called Israeli flight industry to uphold international standards. During his first visit to Israel, Bisignani said that it is disgraceful that the Israeli flight security has slid down to a level that may harm both Israeli airlines and the State's reputation.

I guess he got pulled out of the line, and wants us to stop profiling and do full body scans on everyone as is increasingly being done in the rest of the world. Then we'd have the same courteous, non-discriminatory, but useless security they have everyplace else.

UPDATE 2:00 AM

I take that back. Airport security had nothing to do with it. And the guy is absolutely right.

International Air Transport Association (IATA) CEO Giovanni Bisignani held a press conference in Tel Aviv on Wednesday in which he chastised Israel for failing to upgrade its US Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) International Aviation Safety Assessment ranking from Category 2 to Category 1. “Israel has been in Category 2 for far too long. It is a national embarrassment. Moreover, it is a costly situation for Israel’s reputation and for the financial health of its carriers,” said Bisignani.

In December 2008, the FAA changed Israel’s aviation safety standard rating to Category 2 following an assessment of the country’s Civil Aviation Authority and in particular for its regulation of light, private and sports aviation. With a Category 2 rating, Israeli air carriers are not allowed to establish new service to the United States.

“Let’s be clear. Global standards are not out of reach. Israel’s four IATA member airlines carriers ( Arkia Israel Airlines, C.A.L. Cargo Airlines, El Al and Israir Airlines) are on the registry of the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) for achieving the highest standards in operational safety management. The regulator must also uphold global standards decided through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO),” said Bisignani.

In a meeting with Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz and director general of the Civil Aviation Authority Giora Rom, Bisignani offered Israel to use IATA’s expertise to speed the process and encouraged Israel to join the growing list of countries that have made IOSA a national requirement.

Bisignani also highlighted the urgent need for Israel to designate an alternate airport to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport to handle operational irregularities.. Ovda airport in Eilat, the previous alternative airport, was closed to scheduled traffic earlier this year. Larnaca is the current designated alternate should Ben Gurion become unavailable. “This is not acceptable and it makes little sense. Airlines face added fuel costs to be able to fly to Larnaca while charter operators continue to land at Ovda. The government must move quickly to upgrade Ovda or designate a military facility for this purpose,” said Bisignani. Bisignani called on Defense Minister Ehud Barak to reach a decision to allow civilian flights to land in IAF facilities, stressing that the actual need for an alternate airport was seldom ever experienced.

And this also explains why El Al has been left out of the international airline alliances - the deal they have made with Jet Blue (which hasn't yet been implemented) pales by comparison with joining One World (with American, British, Iberia and others), which is where they were headed until the end of 2008.

Labels: airport security, Ben Gurion Airport, IATA

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:39 AM