First Conference Attended By Nearly 100 Aviation Security Professionals

Nearly 100 business aviation security professionals attended the first-ever NBAA Security Conference, held this week in conjunction with the association's West Palm Beach Regional Forum.

Attendees heard from industry-recognized experts in aviation law, security regulations and security best practices, as well as from officials with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Department of State, about the ever-changing landscape of aviation security. Event participants also shared best practices, and learned how to mitigate security risks.

"We are pleased with the attendance for a first-year conference, which attracted professionals with a wide range of experience – from people new to the security role in their flight department to seasoned experts," said Sarah Wolf, NBAA's senior manager of security and facilitation, liaison to the NBAA Security Council, and a Certified Aviation Manager (CAM). "This range of experience enabled attendees to learn from one another, and introduced individuals new to a security role to resources within the industry."

The 2017 Security Conference opened Tuesday, Jan. 24 with a DCA Access Standard Security Program (DASSP) roundtable, open to DASSP-approved operators only, and a workshop on introductory business aviation security concepts.

"Tuesday’s DASSP roundtable gave attendees an opportunity to discuss challenges with the DCA program, and to share their experiences with a TSA official overseeing the program," Wolf noted. "This type of open dialogue is crucial to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the program that governs access to Washington, DC's Ronald Reagan National Airport, and we appreciate the TSA’s effort to participate in the discussion Later in the day, an introduction to business aviation security workshop laid the foundation for attendees new to business aviation security, and was also an opportunity for more experienced professionals to share their expertise."

The conference continued Wednesday, Jan. 25, with presentations on cybersecurity threats, international operations, and screening vendors and security of personnel away from home, before concluding with interactive workshop discussions about business continuity, flying to high-risk destinations and security training, among other topics.

"Implementing security best practices is a responsibility business aircraft operators take seriously," said Mike Nichols, CAM, and NBAA’s vice president of operational excellence and professional development. "This conference brought together leading experts in aviation security and flight departments to raise the security bar for operations domestically and abroad. Peer-to-peer learning based on real world operations was also a key benefit of the event."

Attendees also found the conference to be an effective networking opportunity. NBAA looks forward to continuing the event in coming years, in support of the industry’s work to address the always evolving environment for business aviation security.

(Source: NBAA news release)

FMI: www.nbaa.org/events/security-conference/2017