Known supplier of in-flight supplies
In-flight supplies, including catering supplies, that are to be carried or used on board an aircraft must undergo security controls and then be protected until loaded onto the aircraft, in order to prevent prohibited articles from being brought on board.
A known supplier of in-flight supplies is a supplier whose procedures comply with the common security regulations and standards that allow in-flight supplies to be delivered to an airline or a regulated supplier, but not directly onto an aircraft.
Deliveries are treated as in-flight supplies from the point where it is evident that they are intended to be used, consumed or purchased on board an aircraft by passengers or crew during the flight.
The following are exempted from this rule:- cabin baggage
- items carried by persons other than passengers
- post and material from airlines
Approval as a known supplier of in-flight supplies is granted by the independent validator Aviasecure on behalf of the FOCA. Remote and/or on-site inspections are used to review the submitted security programme (documentation on aviation security standards) and all processes. If the supply company is compliant, it will be approved for a period of two years.
Both the FOCA and the independent validator may carry out unannounced inspections of known suppliers of in-flight supplies at irregular intervals. During these inspections, the relevant inspectors or designated staff review and assess the security processes, internal training and quality assurance measures.
Every known supplier of in-flight supplies has a security programme approved by the independent validator. This programme defines all processes relevant to aviation security (recruitment, staff training, security, access controls, goods receipt, transport, protection and internal quality controls). The security programme template is available in English.
The costs of initial certification can be found in the AVSEC training and certification fee schedule (de, fr, it).
Link to independent inspection body: Aviasecure
Link to external training provider: 2assistU
Known suppliers of in-flight supplies must have two trained security managers per site. 2assistU, the external training provider, is mandated to train security managers on behalf of the FOCA.
Link to external training provider: Further information on training for security officers