Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05PRETORIA764
2005-02-19 05:15:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Pretoria
Cable title:  

TSA ASSESMENT OF JOHANNESBURG INTL AIRPORT A MODEL

Tags:  ASEC EAIR ECON SF 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 PRETORIA 000764 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

DS/IP/AF
DS/IP/ITA FOR DAN ROTHSTEIN
STATE FOR AF/S/TCRAIG AND KGAITHER
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS FOR TSA/INTL PROGRAMS/PANDERSON AND
JBRECHT-CLARK
AMEMBASSY ROME FOR TSAR/JHALINSKI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC EAIR ECON SF
SUBJECT: TSA ASSESMENT OF JOHANNESBURG INTL AIRPORT A MODEL
OF BILATERAL COOPERATION

REF: 04 PRETORIA 4464

(U) Sensitive But Unclassified. Not for Internet Distribution.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 PRETORIA 000764

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

DS/IP/AF
DS/IP/ITA FOR DAN ROTHSTEIN
STATE FOR AF/S/TCRAIG AND KGAITHER
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS FOR TSA/INTL PROGRAMS/PANDERSON AND
JBRECHT-CLARK
AMEMBASSY ROME FOR TSAR/JHALINSKI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC EAIR ECON SF
SUBJECT: TSA ASSESMENT OF JOHANNESBURG INTL AIRPORT A MODEL
OF BILATERAL COOPERATION

REF: 04 PRETORIA 4464

(U) Sensitive But Unclassified. Not for Internet Distribution.


1. (SBU) Summary. South Africa warmly received
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials during
an aviation security assessment of Johannesburg International
Airport (JIA) and South African Airways (SAA) flights to the
United States. SAA no longer offers direct service between
Cape Town and the United States. SAA will have CCTV cameras
installed in all its aircraft by October 2005. JIA
stakeholders recently conducted a threat analysis exercise
and identified twelve strategic focus areas including theft,
drug trafficking, illegal immigrants, organized crime,
baggage pilferage. The Airports Company of South Africa
(ACSA) has several infrastructure projects planned for JIA in
order to enhance airport security. South Africa's Civil
Aviation Authority CEO (CAA) Mongezi India reminded TSA
officials to notify the CAA several months in advance for
future assessments and requested assessment results within
six months. End Summary.


2. (SBU) Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
officials conducted an aviation security assessment of
Johannesburg International Airport (JIA) and South African
Airways (SAA) flights to the United States from February
8-14. The assessment included officials from South Africa's
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA),SAA, Department of Transport
(DoT),Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA),South African
Police Service (SAPS),and Airports Company South Africa
(ACSA) which manages JIA and nine other South African
airports.

--------------
KUDOS TO TSA
--------------


3. (SBU) South African officials repeatedly told Econoff
that they were impressed with the professionalism,
congeniality, and sensitivity of the TSA team (TSA
representative John Halinski and TSA Aviation Security
Specilaists Kevin Cahill and Richard Gierbolini),and they
appreciated that the assessment was conducted in a spirit of
collaboration. CAA Senior Manager for Compliance Rod Winson
said that he was "very pleased" with the TSA team and feels

that John Halinski will be proactive and responsive to CAA
needs and requests. Similarly, TSA Specialist Kevin Cahill
described the airport access that was granted and the degree
of transparency in which the assessment was conducted as
"unprecedented" and "over and above that which was required."
Halinski described South Africa's National Aviation Security
Program as the best in Africa. The team found that both JIA
and SAA are meeting or exceeding all ICAO standards for
security.

--------------
SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS
--------------


4. (SBU) SAA Executive Manager for Aviation Security Bert
Meintjes reminded TSA officials that SAA terminated direct
flights between Cape Town and the United States as of
February 1. As a result, JIA is the only South African
airport offering direct service to the United States.
Currently two flights depart nightly at 19:40 - SAA 203 to
JFK via Dakar and SAA 209 to Atlanta via Ihla de Sol.
U.S.-bound passengers departing from Cape Town will now
travel on a connecting flight to Johannesburg. Luggage will
be transferred without passenger intervention and passengers
will use a dedicated transfer facility to pass from the
domestic terminal (B) to the international terminal (A). SAA
will finish installing CCTV cameras on all SAA aircraft by
October 2005.

--------------
ACSA'S STRATEGIC FOCUS AT JIA
--------------


5. (SBU) ACSA's Acting-General Manager for JIA Bryan
Thompson led the TSA delegation through a frank and
transparent review of Johannesburg's challenges and
infrastructure plans. A recent threat analysis exercise
conducted by airport stakeholders resulted in the following
strategic focus areas:

- AVIATION SECURITY: Improvements in CCTV, perimeter access
control, perimeter intrusion detection, screening of
passengers and baggage, metal detectors, stakeholder
cooperation and compliance, and increased policing will do
much to bolster already excellent security policies and
procedures at JIA. SAPS will deploy a total of 1700-1800 new
officers to JIA by the end of 2005.

- COMMON THEFT: Increased policing, more efficient guard
patrol monitoring, CCTV, and greater cooperation between
stakeholders are expected to reduce theft.

- VEHICLE THEFT AND THEFT FROM VEHICLES: Increased policing,
more efficient guard patrol monitoring, CCTV, and greater
cooperation between stakeholders are expected to reduce
theft.

- DRUG TRAFFICKING: Improved stakeholder cooperation,
increased police presence, and providing regular training for
scanner operators are all expected to reduce drug
trafficking.

- ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS: Increased policing, greater cooperation
between stakeholders, and dedicated egress routes equipped
with additional technology and manpower are expected to cut
down on illegal immigrants. In addition, Home Affairs has
created a dedicated holding area at JIA for immigration
offenders.

- ILLEGAL PORTERAGE, LOITERING, PUBLIC NUISANCE: ACSA has
regulated porterage at JIA. ORANGE vests now identify
legitimate porters.

- ROBBERY: This is a problem specific to landside operations.
The roll-out of SAPS' new "Port Policing Agency" along with
increased CCTV and guard patrol monitoring recently prevented
six robberies before they took place. Increased police
presence over the next year will make existing measures even
more effective.

- ILLEGAL TAXI/PUBLIC TRANSPORT OPERATORS: ACSA has issued a
tender to select taxi drivers who may legitimately offer
service at JIA.

- NON-REGULATED HAWKERS: Better policing by guard patrols
and police along with improved coordination among
stakeholders are expected to reduce unwanted hawkers.

- TRANSNATIONAL ORGANIZED CRIME SYNDICATES: ACSA will rely on
the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and Immigration
expertise to combat crime syndicates operating at JIA.
Constitutional rights prevent stakeholders from conducting
background checks on existing employees and stakeholders
cannot deny employment to people who have been convicted of
crimes not relevant to the job they would be hired to do.
Increased police presence and infrared surveillance, rapid
response teams, and armored vehicles complement the National
Intervention Unit and Crime Combating Units escorting
valuable cargo to and from aircraft.

- BAGGAGE PILFERAGE: Airport stakeholders and airlines have
recently created a baggage pilferage committee. Technically,
airlines are responsible for protecting checked luggage once
it reaches the hold area. Nevertheless, ACSA increased the
number of CCTV cameras throughout the hold baggage system and
increased spot checks at the hold area. Stakeholders are
also looking to create a pilferage database to enhance
reporting capabilities of lost, stolen, and pilfered luggage.


- SECURITY COMPLIANCE BY ALL STAKEHOLDERS: ACSA is working to
create partnerships, improve communication, and clarify roles
and responsibilities with other stakeholders.

--------------
ACSA INFRSTRUCTURE PLANS FOR JIA
--------------


6. (SBU) ACSA is also planning a number of infrastructure
developments which will enhance airport security as well as
increase airport capacity to accommodate up to 18 million
passengers a year.

- CCTV ANALYSIS/CONTROL ROOM: Despite recently deploying 1200
closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras throughout the
airport, control room capabilities are inadequate. ACSA
plans to build a new control room at the Joint Operating
Center and conduct a gap analysis on the existing CCTV
network to determine whether existing cameras are optimally
placed and whether additional cameras need to be purchased.

- SCANNING EQUIPMENT: ACSA is replacing JIA's five EG&G
Astrophysics Z-Scan baggage scanners with new Smiths Hiemann
EDtS (Explosives Detection tomography System) scanners.
Three of the new scanners will be in place by September 2005.
R26 million ($4.3 million).

- PERIMETER WALL: ACSA is building a 2 meter reinforced
concrete wall topped with razor wire around the 27 km
perimeter of the airport. This wall will reduce the number
of emergency access gates from 26 to 6, cutting the overall
number of airside access gates to 16 (Charlie, Super South,
North Gate 1, Jet Center, Gate Gourmet, General Aviation,
Safair, ATNS, SAA Technical, Denel Aviation plus the six
emergency gates). R23 million ($3.8 million).

- ATNS GATE UPGRADE: ACSA will upgrade the Air Traffic and
Navigation Services gate leading to the control tower. New
card readers, vehicle arrestors, double boom system,
permit-controlled turnstiles, scanners, and metal detectors
will be deployed at the ATNS gate. R8.3 million ($1.4
million).

- INTERNATIONAL ARRIVALS UPGRADE: This upgrade will include
improvements to capacity, circulation, services, and
finishes. R70.6 million ($11.7 million).

- CENTRAL TERMINAL BUILDING: The existing international
check-in area will be extended into Terminal 5 to increase
international check-in capacity. This will also allow the
existing international arrivals terminal to be extended and
reconfigured. R265 million ($44.2 million)

- MULTI-STORY CAR PARKS: Two multi-story car parks will
accommodate up to 6000 vehicles. They will be linked to the
terminals by an elevated walkway and an underground tunnel.
R255 million ($42.5 million).

- APRON EXTENSION: Charlie, Bravo, Echo and Sierra Aprons
will be extended to accommodate increased traffic including
the new large aircraft being manufactured. R161 million
($26.8 million).

- MIDFIELD DEVELOPMENT: Projected increases in passenger
traffic will require an additional terminal at midfield. A
tunnel will connect the existing A & B terminals to the new
midfield terminal. The midfield terminal will provide
additional aprons and warehouses for freight. R274.5 million
($45.7 million).

- NON-SCHEDULED AIRCRAFT GATE: Security will be upgraded at
the non-scheduled area. R12 million ($2 million).

- CARGO SECURITY UPGRADE: A R1.5 million ($250,000) security
upgrade to the existing cargo complex.


7. (SBU) CAA's CEO and Chairperson of the National Aviation
Security Committee Mongezi India requested that future TSA
assessments in South Africa be planned and requested notice
six months in advance, where possible, but no less than two
months in advance. He also requested that the results of the
assessment be provided to him in a more expedited fashion,
ideally within six months. He noted that results from
previous TSA assessments have taken a year or longer.
FRAZER