Lufthansa Cargo security chief seeks global uniform standards

A FRANKFURT conference on international aviation security has focused on problems arising from differing standards imposed by the European Union and the United States.

Lufthansa Cargo security chief Harald Zielinski said there was an urgent need to harmonise security rules in the airfreight industry:

"There is no reason why the USA should not accept the high security standards that we offer in Germany," he said. "The entire industry will profit if standards are harmonised."

Lufthansa Cargo company director Karl-Heinz Kopfle said the tightening of security regulations must bring real gains.

"It is pointless for us to incur additional expenditure from new security measures if they are not thought through or are unnecessary because they fail to effect improvement. That is not in our interest," said Mr Kopfle.

European Commission security chief Eckhard Seebohm is expected present new EU regulations later in the conference attended by 250 delegates, which will involve tighter checks on US-bound shipments. From August full 100 per cent screening is mandated for all US-bound air cargo.

Also speaking later in the conference will be Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, member of the European Parliament, and Warren Miller, air cargo manager at the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

(Source: www.schednet.com)