Regulated 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 regulated supplier of in-flight supplies is a supplier whose procedures comply with the common security regulations that allow in-flight supplies to be delivered 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
The FOCA grants approval as a regulated supplier of in-flight supplies. Remote and/or on-site inspections are used to review the submitted security programme and all processes. If the supplier is compliant, it will be approved for a period of five years.
The FOCA carries out unannounced inspections of regulated suppliers of in-flight supplies at irregular intervals. During these inspections, it reviews and assesses the security processes, internal training and quality assurance measures.
Every regulated supplier of in-flight supplies has a security programme approved by the FOCA. 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 are charged on a time and material basis in accordance with the Ordinance on the Fees Charged by the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FeeO-FOCA, SR 748.112.11). Training for security officers costs CHF 750 per person and is invoiced separately by 2assistU, the external training provider.
Link: SR 748.112.11 – Ordinance of 28 September 2007 on the Fees Charged by the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FeeO-FOCA) | Fedlex (de, fr, it)
Link to external training provider: 2assistU
Regulated 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.