Planning on flying your corporate aircraft to Australia? Well, there have been changes in the Land Down Under
in regard to its Transportation Security Program (TSP), specifically its applicability. In the past, the Australian
TSP was primarily applicable to commercial and unscheduled commercial flights. However, TSP oversight has moved into the newly created Department of Home Affairs on 20 Dec. 2017, which resulted in a different interpretation of what is considered “prescribed air service”. In the following, we give you the What, Who, and
How of Australia’s Transportation Security Program.
What: The Australian TSP is a document that prescribes the controls and procedures an operator will implement to prevent acts of unlawful interference, and meet their obligations under the Aviation Transport Security Act (ATSA) 2004 and the Aviation Transport Security Regulations 2005. According to the Department of Home Affairs, the TSP outlines the measures and procedures that the operator will implement and also demonstrates that the operator will:
Be aware of their responsibility to contribute to the maintenance of aviation security
Have in place an integrated, responsible and proactive approach to managing aviation security
Have the capacity to meet the specific obligations imposed under the ATSA
Have taken into account their local security risk context in developing activities and strategies for managing aviation security.
Who: The submission of a TSP is now required for all prescribed air services operating into, within, and from Australia. A prescribe air service is defined as any of the following:
A regular transport operation
An air service in which a jet is used
An air service in which an aircraft with a certificated maximum take-off mass greater than 5700 kg (12,500lbs) is used
The above list includes 14 CFR 91 operations into and out of Australia.
How: Feedback from the business aviation community describes developing and submitting a TSP can be a bit onerous. Operators may engage the services of a third-party to complete and submit the TSP on their behalf, however, this will require a current authorization letter that is signed by an authorized signatory within the contracting organization. Guidelines on Australia’s TSP can be found Click Here and the Aircraft Operator TSP Template can be found Click Here. After submission of the TSP for approval, the Department of Home Affairs has 60 days to render a decision.
Please be advised that if you try to operate into, within, or from Australia without an approved TSP, you may be assessed 200 penalty units under Australian federal law, which equates to a fine of roughly AUD42,000. If you have a TSP currently under review and operate into, within, or from Australia, you may or may not be prosecuted for not having an approved TSP. The bottom line is plan well ahead of any travels to Australia to
have the TSP approved and in place.
Australia is a fantastic place to go and a safe destination. The TSP helps the Australian government to control terrorist threats within their borders by requiring operators to develop controls and procedures to aid in security efforts. Check out the guidance and the template and if there are any questions at all, we are here.