FEATURE CARGO SECURITY Scholte
“all company employees are well‐ versed in air cargo security”
secure, Scholte insists, and in the area of training all company employees are well-versed in air cargo security from the highest level of management to the newest staff member. And, finally, not even an intern is taken on by Jan de Rijk without vetting, he added. The threat exists for all shipments, but
it is the high-value loads that are most at risk. Those involving pharmaceuticals or IT products, for example, see the highest level of monitoring and double- manning, or an escort vehicle may be used to further protect the shipments. While the danger to the cargo is one
that requires a significant amount of investment to overcome, it also offers Jan de Rijk potential for what has become a genuine competitive edge, Scholte believes. The company’s business model does not revolve around offering the lowest possible price, but providing a full, high-quality service, so offering better security for cargo than its competitors can be seen as a further selling point.
Handling the problem Another company that believes its security procedures represent a unique selling point and a competitive edge, rather than an expensive burden, is the Zurich-headquartered and globally active cargo handler Swissport. Now with 99 stations worldwide –
“The security of the goods entrusted to our care is paramount”
John Batten
having started handling cargo at Tokyo- Narita International airport on 11 November last year – the company moves about 3.2 million tonnes of cargo every year for over 300 customers. “The security of the goods entrusted to our care is paramount,” believes Swissport executive vice president, global cargo John Batten. The processes that the handler has put in place to guard against the theft of air freight in transit are rigorous, including, but not limited to, entrance and exit searches at premises, access control, sub- contractor security
patrols, closed circuit television (CCTV) and other protective infrastructure. There are Swissport managers
responsible for security at all levels of the company – station, regional and corporate – he pointed out. Moreover, all the company’s employees are vetted prior to any employment and there is a thorough initial and ongoing programme of proper security training for company staff. There is a group subsidiary, Swissport
Aviation Security, with a workforce of some 1,100 employees providing security services for more than 40 customers in 13 countries. The services offered include travel document verification, access control, passenger
52 AIR LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT
interviewing, baggage reconciliation, aircraft guarding, cargo and hold and hand baggage screening, security training, and threat and vulnerability assessments.
The forwarder’s perspective Other links in the supply chain are also very aware that the weakest point in the movement of goods by air is when shipments are on the ground. Kevin Johnson, global head and vice
president, corporate supply chain security, at logistics services provider Panalpina, notes that while its standard operating procedures are all about preserving the integrity of a consignment throughout the shipping process – from shipper to consignee – it is when the
cargo is stationary and on terra firma that it is in most danger of theft. Or, as the saying goes, ‘cargo at rest is cargo at risk’. Panalpina will assess the risk of
shipping on any traffic lane, Johnson continued, with procedures differing according to many variables, not least the value of the consignment and the countries through which it must pass. Any protocols put in place must of
course be relevant and applicable to the local laws, Johnson observed. They will also be the result of wide-ranging security procedures set at the corporate level by him and his team and implemented with the experience of one or more of the global forwarder’s area security managers. At all levels training is vital, he argues.
Much of this is now provided by Panalpina through e-learning processes,
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