Airpol Video Based Table-Top Exercise Severe Incidents at an Airport
Airpol has conducted exercises at 16 different airports in 15 countries based on the video Severe Incidents at an Airport beginning in March 2022 at Stansted airport. The one-day exercise is a table-top inviting all relevant actors at an airport namely, all relevant actors from the airport, Law Enforcement, Airport Manager, Airport Security, ATC, Fire and Rescue, Medics, Airlines and others depending on the airport organization. The video, produced by Airpol, contains a number of incidents where participants discuss what should be done and by which actor. The aim is to enhance co-operation and increase the airport actors’ knowledge of their own task and that of the others. It also gives the participating actors the opportunity to reflect on possible vulnerabilities in their own emergency plans as well as in relation to others. The concept includes the exercise conducted at one airport together with a parallel training for exercise leaders from the host airport as well as from other airports in the country who will then receive the exercise training package and do the exercise later on at their home airport.

Up until December 2023 more than 800 participants have taken part in the exercise in total.

During the Autumn 2023 exercises at Stockholm Arlanda, Oslo Gardemoen and Vienna Scwechat was performed

Airpol CBRN train the trainer course
Airpol gave the CBRN part B (practical part) in two sessions in October 2023 in Poland. CBRN part A was held in March for 29 officers from 16 countries.

The Airpol Behaviour detection training concept
The Airpol Behaviour detection Part A and Part B has been amended by a further developed interview part. This development was given as a one-time course part C in October in Vienna. Later the part C will be implemented in Part A and B of the Airpol Behaviour detection concept.

Airpol Insider Threat Awareness exercise
The Exercise is planned to be conducted in the same way as the exercise Severe Incidents at an Airport by gathering all relevant actors at an airport for a table- top and discuss certain cases imposing an insider threat. The exercise will be a half-day session and will include discussions around mental health issues, disgruntled employees as well as addiction from an insider threat perspective.

Securing the Airport Community WG, Disruptive/unruly passenger sub-group
The aim is to develop a guideline for the dialogue between the Aircraft Commander and the Local Police in the event of a disruptive /unruly passenger. The WG is a continuation of the Disruptive/unruly passengers conference/Work Shop Airpol held in April 2023.

AIRPOL WG Insider Threat
The 1st December the Insider WG met in Lisbon and continued the work with the Insider Awareness table-top exercise. The exercise will be ready for use late Spring 2024.

AIRPOL WG Unruly passengers
On the 30 November the Unruly passenger WG met to continue the work with the guideline to support the communication between the Local Police and an Aircraft Commander in case of unruly/disruptive passenger at an aircraft. The guideline will be issued late Spring 2024.

AIRPOL Plenary Congress 2023 Malaga Spain
On the 15-16 November Airpol held its Plenary Congress in Malaga, Spain including just over 100 participants from 24 countries with the theme Technology a possibility or a threat? Speakers included International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), International Air Transport Association (IATA), Europol Innovation LAB, Airports Council International Europe (ACI), EUROCONTROL, AENA, ENLETS and presentations from the AIRPOL work the past year as well as the coming year. An important part of the Congress was the work-shops and the panel session with the Industry. Thanks to Guardia Civil for the support arranging the Congress.

In-Flight-Security document 
During the AIRPOL Congress AIRPOL and EIFS, the network for In-flight-Security-Officers signed a co-operation document supporting the contact between the Local Police and IFSO when an emergency landing is needed. 

AIRPOL Behaviour Detection training Vienna
10-11 October 2023 AIRPOL conducted training on Behaviour Detection. The training focused on the further developed part on the interaction/interview. Participants had earlier finalized the AIRPOL training part A and B on BD. This part will be included in the AIRPOL training package on Behaviour detection (part A and B).  

AIRPOL CBRN training 24-25 October 2023 in Koszalin Poland 
24 -25 October 2023 AIRPOL conducted the CBRN training part B including 26 participants from 14 countries and Aquapol. The training included both theory and practical parts as well as preparatory for trainers. Detection equipment (from DG Home) will be handed out after the training for a trial period of two years

Capacity Building Moldova
The Head of Airpol Peter Nilsson meet with officials from Moldovan Border Guard and other officials from Moldova in Chisinau the 30th 2023 October to discuss a capacity building training. The training on Behaviour detection will be conducted by AIRPOL in co-operation with OSCE in February 2024.

The -pol Networks meeting
On 12th October Airpol, Aquapol, Railpol and Roadpol will meet in Budapest. The group meets twice a year to discuss synergies and specific co-operation on certain topics.

Nilsson also took part in the Aquapol Council meeting in Paris the 7 December.

Airpol representatives at various Conferences in October and November
Peter Nilsson, Head of Airpol took part and present the Airpol work at the ALEAN (Airport Law Enforcement Agencies Network) in San Antonio, in September. ALEAN is a close co-operation partner and the equivalent to Airpol in North America.

Sarah Fox from the Airpol Technology WG gave a presentation at the Counter UAS Homeland Security Europe conference in London in September.

Peter Nilsson, Head of Airpol took part and gave a presentation on Insider threat at the CIPRE (Critical Infrastructure Protection and Resilience) conference in Prague in October

Peter Nilsson Head of Airpol presented the Airpol work at the IAMC2023 (In-flight-security officers) conference in Bucharest in October

Daniel Magalhaes, Team Leader for the Insider Threat WG and group member of the Disruptive/unruly passengers WG represented Airpol and gave a presentation on the Airpol work on disruptive/unruly passengers at the DISPAX conference in Prague in October.

Peter Nilsson Head of Airpol gave a presentation and took part in a panel at the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) Security Week in Montreal in November

Capacity building at Luanda Airport, Angola.
In April 2023 Airpol performed a training session on behaviour detection for 30 officers from Luanda Airport. The training was initiated by the Portuguese PSP under the lead of Bruno Clemente. The training was a part of the capacity building initiatives Airpol concerning airports with traffic on EU airports.

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES 2023
SAC Protester WG meeting London
The WG will have its first meeting 25 January in London. The WG will develop guidelines to support the Local Airport Police Commander

Team Leader meeting in Lisbon 9 February
The AIRPOL Team Leader group will meet in Lisbon to follow up the work 2023 and coordinate the AIRPOL work for the coming year.

-POL meeting in Stockholm 19 March
AIRPOL, Aquapol, Railpol and Roadpol will meet in Stockholm to discuss co-operation and further develop synergies between the networks.

Management Board meetings - 2024
6-7 March at London Heathrow, UK
10-11 June Brussels, Belgium
8 October Bucharest, Romania  

Plenary Congress 2024 Malaga
9-10 October Bucharest, Romania

Exercise
Eight Exercises are planned for 2024 but locations yet to be finally confirmed.
       
Insider Threat   
The group will finalize the Awareness table-top exercise during the Spring. Webex meeting will be held to follow up. Exercises will be held beginning early Autumn 2024.

SAC WG, Disruptive/Unruly passengers
The guideline will be finalized during the Spring. Webex meeting will be held to follow up.

Intelligence WG
Web-based meetings monthly

Membership at Airpol Connect
More information on the activities of Airpol is found at Airpol Connect. Membership is open only to law enforcement officers. Membership application is found at the bottom of this page.