ACI-ICAO Management of Airport Security Course

From 30 October to November 3 in Montreal, ACI World and the ICAO collaborated in the first delivery of a brand new joint course, ACI-ICAO Management of Airport Security.

The jointly developed course provides guidance to aviation security personnel at a managerial level on planning, coordinating and implementing airport security preventative measures and proactive initiatives that are in accordance with national programmes and airport industry best practices.

The creation of this programme was in direct response to the needs of our airport members. After taking many months to draft the course syllabus and create all the materials, the programme was reviewed by a validation panel comprised of security experts from ACI, ICAO, the UK Department for Transport, Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Airports Company South Africa (ACSA).

The course was divided into nine modules:

• Module 1 – The Regulatory Framework for Airport Security
• Module 2 – General Principles of Aviation Security
• Module 3 – Principles of Security Management at an Airport
• Module 4 – Developing a Security Programme
• Module 5 – Defining Risk and Identifying Vulnerabilities
• Module 6 – Management Response to Acts of Unlawful Interference
• Module 7 – Security Culture
• Module 8 – Recruitment, Selection and Training
• Module 9 – Quality Management

The ICAO instructor for the validation course was Ms. Katie Schmidt, ICAO Implementation Support and Development – Security (ISD-SEC), Section of Aviation Security and Facilitation (ASF). The ACI instructors were Mr. Chris Barratt and Ms. Sara Gladstone.

Upon completion of the review, the course development team received valuable feedback from the group so that the course could be further refined and tailored to its target audience ahead of its launch.

This course forms one of three courses required to be successfully completed within a three-year period in order for the participant to earn the Airport Security Diploma. The other courses that comprise the diploma are:

• Airport Security Operations
• Quality Management in Airport Security

Special thanks to all the contributors and individuals from ICAO Global Aviation Training (GAT), the ACI Global Training department, the ACI faculty and the ACI Security team for all their efforts in making this programme available. This joint course marks the third classroom course jointly delivered by both entities.

The other joint courses are:

• ACI-ICAO User Charges (economics)
• ACI-ICAO Aerodrome Certification (safety)

ACI-ICAO Management of Airport Security course reviews

“It was my distinct honor and privilege to participate in the validation of the ACI-ICAO Management of Airport Security Course in Montreal, Canada. Based upon my more than two decades of experience in the aviation safety and security management arena at the world’s busiest and most efficient airport, I feel confident in saying this course will benefit aviation security managers worldwide. The in-depth curriculum provides a new perspective to the role airports and individuals will play in the protection of the global aviation transportation network. This course uniquely explains the linkage between international aviation security standards, national policies and the local airport security program.

“Additionally, attendees of the course will leave with a clear understanding of the importance of airport security management, including risk management, quality management and the need for an effective security culture. The airport security program is designed, developed and executed to prevent and/or reduce unlawful acts against aviation while supporting the business activities of airlines, tenants and other stakeholders at an airport.

“Again, the ACI-ICAO Management Course will enhance the overall safety and security knowledge of individuals charged with the responsibility of protecting the global aviation transportation system at airports.”

– Richard L. Duncan, CPP, IAP, Assistant General Manager, Public Safety and Security, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

“I am delighted that we have worked together with ICAO to develop a new course on the Management of Airport Security. The course covers all aspects of security management and highlights topics such as risk assessment, quality control and security culture, which are more relevant than ever. I would like to thank all of the parties involved at ICAO and ACI for the enormous amount of work that has gone into developing this course, as well as the airports who helped us validate the content. I look forward to a successful launch.”

– Nina Brooks, Head, Security, ACI World