New Delhi
January 21, 2010
(Press Information Bureau)

A Joint Working Group comprising of senior level officers from the United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA) alongwith senior officers from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) met to discuss concerns over matters vital and sensitive to both the Governments. 

The issues that were taken up at the meeting were: 

• Deployment of Sky Marshals/Air Marshals 

• Technical Cooperation and Training in Best Practices. Visits to promote Indo-US technical cooperation. 

• The concept of an Aviation Security Force and adoption of best practices in security with cooperation of both sides. 

• Technical study and technical visits. 

• US cooperation for discussion on need, technology and source identification of Human Body Scanners. 

• Training on in line X-ray Baggage Inspection System and information on the latest/desirable technology. 

• Cooperation on Behavioral Detection Training. 

• Act in conformity with Aviation Security provisions established by ICAO, etc. 

The following was agreed at the meeting: 

• It was agreed that while carriers flying out of India to the US were required to comply with the Emergency and Security Directives of the TSA, such directives essentially should be routed through the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security. This would be applied reciprocally. 

• The Indian side requested that dual screening of baggage on US bound flights be dispensed with. This would involve the US side surveying the security operations at the originating airports. The Indian side will facilitate an early visit by the TSA to enable this process. 

Two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed. One was on the deployment of Air Marshals. The other MoU was signed for cooperation in airport technical visits. These two landmark MoUs mark the beginning of an ongoing cooperation on matters of security. The Joint Working Group will continue to meet periodically to take forward the issues agreed upon.