Fraport assumes new security responsibilities at Frankfurt Airport

Fraport has assumed responsibility for the organisation, management, and performance of the security checkpoints at Frankfurt Airport (FRA).

The German Federal Police, who were previously tasked with these responsibilities, will continue to hold statutory oversight and supervision roles, as well as overall responsibility for aviation security.

They will also continue to provide armed protection at checkpoints, certification and approval of new checkpoint infrastructure, and handle the certification and recertification process for aviation security personnel.

As a result of the change three service providers will now conduct passenger screening services at FRA on behalf of Fraport – FraSec Aviation Security (FraSec), I-SEC Deutsche Luftsicherheit, and Securitas Aviation Service.

In addition, state-of-the-art CT scanners from Smiths Detection have been deployed at six selected aviation security lanes since the start of the year. The German Federal Police tested the reliability of the CT technology during a trial run in September 2022.

Also helping to make the security checks run conveniently and efficiently is the ‘MX2’ lane design from Dutch company Vanderlande. The innovative concept, which uses a CT scanner from Leidos, is being implemented for the first time worldwide.

Passengers can place their hand luggage on both sides of the CT/checking equipment and retrieve it in the same way. The trial operation got underway in Terminal 1’s Concourse A in January 2023.

Fraport’s CEO, Dr Stefan Schulte, said: “I’m pleased that Fraport – as the operator of Frankfurt Airport – is now able to assume more responsibility for security checks. This will allow us to bring our experience and skills into the operational management of aviation security.

“By deploying new technology and innovative lane designs at Germany’s largest aviation gateway, we can provide our customers and passengers with greater convenience and shorter wait times, while maintaining our high security standards.

“Over the past few months, our team worked towards this starting date quickly and with a high level of commitment. The transition ran smoothly from the outset, thanks to our partnership with the security service providers FraSec, I-Sec, and Securitas. I offer my sincere thanks to everyone who was involved.”

Nancy Faeser, Federal Minister of the Interior and Community said: “It is good that Fraport AG has taken over management and organisation of the passenger security checks at Frankfurt Airport this year. We are convinced that police officers are deployed much more sensibly in the area of operational police tasks. However, one thing is also very clear: there are no compromises when it comes to aviation safety.”