US embassy cable - 05PRETORIA764

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