Aviation staff checks may hinder airport operations - airlines

About 40,000 air travel workers face extra background security checks this year under new laws that came into force last month.

The Government implemented a new EU directive requiring tougher background checks on those working in aviation, and candidates for jobs in the industry, on January 1st this year.

As a result, an estimated 35,000-42,000 staff in the business face extra Garda checks on their backgrounds to ensure they can continue working in airlines and airports.

Pilots, cabin crew, ground handling staff and many other groups of aviation workers need special identity passes issued following background checks that include establishing if they have criminal convictions.

Airlines fear Garda delays in completing security checks may hinder summer travel

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Workers must renew these passes every year and a special unit of An Garda Síochána carries out the checks.

EU directive 2019/103 requires “enhanced” checks, normally carried out by states’ security or intelligence services, for all aviation workers.

According to the Department of Transport, the new checks apply to anyone with access to the secure area of an airport, or anybody with an airport ID badge.

That includes “airline crew or those working in cargo or supplying aircraft”, the department said.

The new rules call for the disclosure of criminal records for the past five years, and employment and education, along with any gaps in either, over the same period.

They demand other information that authorities “may consider relevant” to someone’s suitability.

Industry figures say the State is not clear about what it considers other relevant information to be and suggest that it could embrace family members as well as the individual worker.

If Garda checks find something that the force believes means the individual poses a threat to public safety, then that person could lose their job.

However, anyone in that situation would have rights of appeal, including a court challenge.

Lack of speed

Aer Lingus and Emerald Airlines both warned at the weekend that if gardaí did not speed up the time taken to carry out the enhanced checks on new applicants, it could pose problems as the carriers step up hiring ahead of summer.

The carriers maintain that it is taking more than four weeks to complete checks they say should be done within 14 days and want extra Garda resources devoted to the task.

Irish aviation could recruit 2,000-3,000 people this year as it bids to recover from severe Government restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Air travel businesses are less concerned at the prospect of existing staff facing enhanced checks, as workers can apply early to have their passes renewed, anticipating any likely delays.

However, they fear that the slow pace of some checks could lead to a bottleneck as businesses begin to recruit for the summer.

They also warn that checks on non-national applicants, or Irish people who have lived and worked abroad, could face further delays, as these require gardaí to contact other police forces.

Terrorism threat

The Department of Transport noted that the checks are in line with European regulations meant to guard against the threat that terrorism poses to civil aviation.

Air travel businesses do not dispute the need for background checks as their purpose is to protect safety.

A Garda source said at the weekend that the force’s primary concern was protecting public safety and security.

He maintained that about seven out of 10 checks were completed quickly, but said others could take longer, depending on the circumstances.

An Garda Síochána has increased numbers in the unit responsible for carrying out the checks, it is understood.