Duties of the Director of Civil Aviation

(l) The Director of Civil Aviation shall, after consultation with the (a) ensuring that the Concession Company at the Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport, (i) develops standards acceptable to the Committee for the hiring and retention of security screening companies; Civil Aviation Security Act [CAP. 239:01 17 (ii) trains and tests security screening personnel to standards acceptable to (iii) is responsible for the day-to-day security screening operations for all passengers, crew, baggage and cargo; (iv) is responsible for complying with the airport security programme for that airport; (v) is responsible for contingency plan exercises and tests, which will be practiced and exercised on a regular basis to identify weaknesses and modifications for the safe conclusion of emergency situation; (b) ensuring that all persons operating any duty free shops or other business activities and all aircraft operators within the Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport observe the airport aviation security programme for the Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport. (2) The Director of Civil Aviation shall, (a) enforce security-related and requirements at any airport, aerodrome or at any other aeronautical facility; (b) inspect, audit and test security facilities, equipment and systems at any airport, aerodrome or at any other aeronautical facility; 18 (c) oversee the implementation, and ensure the adequacy, of civil aviation security measures at airports, aerodromes and other aeronautical facilities; (d) require background checks for airport or aerodrome security screening personnel and individuals with access to security restricted areas; (e) work with the International Civil Aviation Organisation and appropriate aeronautical authorities of foreign governments which are friendly to Belize to address issues of, (i) security concerns on passenger flights by foreign aircraft operators in international civil aviation; (ii) security audits, security surveys, security tests and security inspections; (f) be the point of contact between Belize and the International Civil Aviation Organisation; (g) be the point of contact between the National Civil Aviation Security Committee, the Department of Civil Aviation, and any government department, concerning issues of (h) approve a cargo developed by cargo aircraft operators; (i) carry out such other duties, and exercise such other powers, relating to civil aviation security as may be authorised by any other law. Civil Aviation Security Act [CAP. 239:01 19 (3) Without prejudice to the generality of sub-sections (1) and (2), the Director of Civil Aviation, with the approval of the Minister and after consultation with the National Civil Aviation (a) may enter into memoranda of understanding with other local, regional or international organisations in respect of civil aviation (b) may enter into memoranda of understanding with the law enforcement authorities of any foreign government to share or otherwise cross-check as necessary data on individuals identified on the National Civil Aviation Security Committee database as individuals who may pose a risk to civil aviation security; (c) may establish procedures for notifying the Concession Company, appropriate law enforcement authorities, airport security personnel, or aircraft operators security personnel of the identity of individuals known to pose risk, or suspected of posing a risk to (d) may establish policies and procedures requiring aircraft operators, (i) to use information from government departments to identify individuals on passenger lists who may be a threat to (ii) if such an individual is identified, to notify appropriate law enforcement authorities, prevent the individual from boarding an aircraft, or take other appropriate action with respect to the individual; and (iii) to share lists with appropriate government departments for the purpose of identifying individuals who may pose a threat to (4) The Director of Civil Aviation shall require each operator of an aircraft providing international services from or to Belize to develop and implement an aircraft operator aviation security programme, which shall be approved by the Director of Civil Aviation, and which shall, (a) specify the practices and procedures to be followed by the operator to protect passengers, crew, ground personnel, and aeronautical facilities from acts of unlawful interference; (b) specify the organisation of the operator’s systems and responsibilities, including the designation of the operator’s security coordinator; (c) specify other security measures including, (i) the operator’s pre-flight security checks of aircraft; (ii) the operator’s procedures for the pre- flight screening of passengers, and the pre-flight screening of cabin baggage and hold baggage if applicable; (iii) the operator’s procedures for ensuring that no weapons, explosives and other dangerous devices, articles or Civil Aviation Security Act [CAP. 239:01 21 substances are carried on board by embarking passengers; (iv) the operator’s procedures to protect hold baggage, air cargo, mail, aircraft catering supplies and stores; (v) the operator’s procedures for controlling disruptive passengers; (vi) the operator’s procedures, criteria and standards regarding the carrying of firearms on board an aircraft by any (vii) the operator’s procedures for ensuring the security of, and the control of access to, parked aircraft; (d) specify the operator’s contingency plans in cases of, (i) hijacking, sabotage and bomb threats; (ii) n-flight procedures when a suspect item is found, or believed to be on board an aircraft during flight; (iii) emergency evacuation of passengers from a flight; (iv) searches of the aircraft by Belize’s law enforcement authorities on the ground; (e) specify measures to be taken by the operator to ensure the programme’s effectiveness including the adequate training of staff, and 22 the periodic testing and evaluation of their (5) The Director of Civil Aviation shall require the Concession Company, at the Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport, to develop an airport security programme for that airport, which shall, (a) specify the individual security measures developed by the Concession Company at that airport, in conformity with the Belize National (b) specify the airport security officer charged by the Concession Company with co-ordinating the implementation of that airport’s aviation (c) establish an airport committee for the Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport consisting of members approved by the National Civil Aviation Security Committee and the Minister; (d) specify how the requirements of airport aviation security will be integrated into the architectural and infrastructure related designs, expansion and construction of the Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport; (e) specify the responsibilities of the Concession Company Limited and the Belize Airports Authority in the area of airport aviation security at the Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport, including, (i) the prevention, detection and prosecution of offences at that airport; Civil Aviation Security Act [CAP. 239:01 23 (ii) routine surveillance and patrol of all airport terminals; (iii) the surveillance of arriving and departing and the identification of persons who may pose a threat to airport aviation (iv) contingency planning with the Belize Police Department and the Belize Defence Force in respect of responses to acts of unlawful interference, including hijacking, sabotage, bomb or other threats, ground attacks and civil disorder; (v) the ability to provide specialist responses to the threats specified in subparagraph (iv) above, including but not limited to the ability to provide anti-terrorist units, armed intervention, hostage negotiation and explosive device disarming and disposal; (vi) the ability to provide a rapid, armed response to major accidents at that airport; (vii) the training of police officers, customs officers, immigration officers and fire service officers in airport aviation security measures, practices and procedures relevant to their areas of operation; 24 (viii) the enforcement of this Act and other laws relevant to airport aviation (6) The Director of Civil Aviation shall, after consultation with the National Civil Aviation Security Committee and with the approval of the Minister, require operators of national and local lights in Belize to develop and submit to him for approval, aircraft operators aviation security programmes. (7) Aircraft operators aviation security programmes referred to in sub-section (6) shall be developed pursuant to regulations made under section 16 (2)(c) and (d). (8) Where the Director of Civil Aviation is required to do any act, discharge any duty, or perform any function under this Act, the Director of Civil Aviation shall first consult with the Minister and give great weight to the timely views of the National Civil Aviation Security Committee before doing the act, discharging the duty, or performing the function.