23 June 2008
The latest annual report from Lord Carlile on the terror threat in the UK draws attention to the perceived threat from light aircraft.
The potential threat posed by GA has been a regular theme of Lord Carlile’s reports, and this one is no different. He says: “I continue to give close attention this year to the organisation, supply and security of business and general aviation.”
He goes on to suggest: “It is possible to purchase, from reputable international companies, piloted flying hours in sophisticated executive jets capable of high speed travel from continent to continent. The risk of hijacking of such aircraft is a matter of potential concern.
“Another real anxiety,” says Lord Carlile, “is the potential use of light aircraft as vehicle bombs against places of public aggregation. This is not founded on any particular intelligence, or on any operation as such. However, I know that some knowledgeable police offi cers and officials have ongoing concerns about the relative simplicity of terrorism conducted in this way, given the very large number of private aircraft and small airfields.”
He says that this has led to “some well thought out” policing plans, and also goes out of his way to praise pilots and airfield owners for the assistance which they continue to give.
In its response to the report – also published today – the government answers some of these points. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith says:
“The Department for Transport has noted your flagging of the potential for small aircraft to be used as vehicle bombs, and your observation that there is presently no intelligence to suggest this forms part of terrorist thinking.”
She says that the government is “participating in discussions in Europe of the possible security regulation of general aviation at the EU level. In the meantime, police forces remain proactive in providing support to airports hosting general aviation flights and flying schools, and during the year the DfT assisted the police National Counter Terrorism Security Office in producing a leaflet providing advice to general aviation operators and flying schools on how to deal with suspicious activity and concerns.”
