The impact of the application of international air cargo security regulations in South Africa

Abstract

This research project, within the context of security risk management in general and aviation security in particular, aimed to explore the impact of the application of international and local air cargo security regulations on South Africa, with specific reference to the regulations of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), as well as the European Union (EU) and the United States of America (USA). In South Africa, since the early 2000s, the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) has been the lead agency for dealing with and managing the needs for air cargo security. This oversight by SACAA culminated in 2009 with the promulgation of the SACAA Regulation commonly known as Part 108. Accordingly the primary research focus was on the impact Part 108 has had on the air cargo industry in South Africa. In addition, it compared the South African regulations with those of the USA and EU regulations; explored the compliance of the various roleplayers; sought to understand the enforcement of the regulations; and examined the effectiveness of the available security and screening methods. Furthermore, the research attempted to determine whether these regulations had any effect on preventing or deterring crime in the air cargo sector.