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26 февраля 2016 15:53
Position of Domodedovo Airport: the Inspection Technology-2010 reinforced security of the airport
As the investigation builds its allegation around differences between two versions of the inspection technology used at the entrances to the airport’s passenger terminal (versions of 2007 and 2010), Moscow Domodedovo Airport considers necessary to inform as follows.The inspection technology at the entrances to the passenger terminal of Domodedovo Airport enacted on 18.05.2010 was approved by the Federal Transportation Inspection Service (Rostransnadzor, the competent authority on certification in the sphere of transport security) and Line Authority of the Russian Interior Ministry at Domodedovo Airport. The document underlined that the authority to inspect visitors and apprehend offenders is vested with the Interior Ministry staff. According to Art. 55 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, inspection of citizens is an interference with personal rights and freedoms, therefore the aviation security service did not have the right to perform this kind of work in the absence of a special federal law to this effect.
The variation of the Technology in the 2010 version augmented the degree of protection of the airport due to the following reasons:
- employees of the Interior Ministry (in contrast to employees of the Aviation Security Services) are armed, trained on special skills, vested with special powers to inspect citizens and apprehend offenders;
- Terrorism is a global threat and the Interior Ministry of Russia as a centralized federal law enforcement body prevails over services of different airports that are autonomous and act in the framework of various legal entities without any unifying plan or management.
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At the press conference by Dmitry Kamenshchik held on 17th February 2016, video records were presented that were taken by the CCTV cameras at the entrances to the passenger terminal on 24th November 2009 (the period when the Technology-2007 was applicable) and on 24th January 2011 (Technology-2010) confirming performance of the very screening of selectees at the entrances to the passenger terminal referred to in both versions of the technology at points in time when either of the versions was effective.
100-percent screening at the entrance to the passenger terminal building is to be set in case of a heightened threat for civil aviation, should a higher security level (2nd and 3rd levels) be announced – see Decree No. 940 by the Russian Government dated 10th December 2008. The higher security level was announced only on 26th January 2011, two days after the terrorist attack at Domodedovo Airport.
The obligation to run screening at the entrances to passenger terminals (without any reference given to whether it is meant to be 100-percent screening) on the part of transport infrastructure subjects was instituted only on 08.02.2011 by Order #40 by the Russian Ministry of Transport, with a more specific procedure for visitor inspection determined only in Federal Law No.15-FZ ‘On Introduction of Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation on the Issues of Transport Security Provision’ dated 03.02.2014.
Moreover, in the investigators’ view, the amendment to the inspection technology applied at the entrances to the passenger terminal made in 2010 was aimed at minimising costs. However, actual data testify to the contrary. In December 2008 the headcount of the Aviation Security Service of Domodedovo Airport was 998 employees, whereas in December 2010 it reached 1148 people (+15%). Over the same period of time, the payroll budget for this category of staff grew from RUB 369.7 mln to RUB 427.9 mln on an annualised basis. The dynamics of both the headcount and the payroll budget for the Aviation Security Service of the airport is presented on charts below.
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For the purposes of documentary proof of its position, Moscow Domodedovo Airport is making publicly available the Technology for Inspection at the Entrances to the Passenger Terminal, version 2007 and version 2010
Moscow Domodedovo Airport is interested in an objective investigation into the circumstances of the criminal case and counts on the facts presented in the press release being taken into account by the investigators.
