Government tightens rules for deploying in-flight security officer

Kathmandu, December 18

The government has tightened the rule for international companies wishing to deploy inflight security officer in their aircraft.

Revising the Civil Aviation Security Rules, 2016, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) has brought new rules to ensure the security of the country’s aviation sector.

The procedures for the airline companies to receive permission for in-flight security officer has been lengthened.

According to the revised rule, any airline company wishing to deploy in-flight security officer in the aircraft must get the recommendation letter from its own country’s civil aviation authority and submit it to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).

After that, the CAAN has to recommend it to MoCTCA and the latter has to recommend it to the Ministry of Home Affairs for permission to keep in-flight security officer in the aircraft.

The previous rule had simply mentioned that ‘in case an in-flight security officer has to be kept inside an aircraft, permission of Ministry of Home Affairs shall have to be acquired accompanied by a recommendation of the concerned aircraft operator’.

The revised rules have also made it mandatory for the inspection of the airport to ensure its security. According to the revised rules, officials deployed from CAAN will visit the airport for safety survey, audit, inspection, security practices and evaluation of the activities.

An added provision in the amended rules states that aviation security inspectors deployed by CAAN must be allowed free access to all areas, including those termed ‘restricted’ in the airport and the concerned authority must submit all the details sought by the inspector.

Moreover, while the airport authority was earlier allowed to issue airport entry passes to people other than passengers, the revised rules has a provision that requires approval of the civil aviation office at the airports for such entry passes henceforth.