may2024 - 19

Airport Badges vs.
Crew Badges
Depending on the airport, a variety
of identification badges issued by
various sources may be found. Nonetheless,
guaranteeing the security of
an airport is critical.
When it comes to badges produced
by airports, the most common airport
badge is a SIDA badge.
A SIDA (or security identification
display area) badge is typically issued
to people, such as ground handling
personnel, who work beyond the
screening checkpoint in sterile areas.
They typically include personnel
who work on and around aircraft,
among others.
" Not all airports do SIDA badging, "
Bartoo notes. " But if you are at
a SIDA airport, that's probably not
something you're going to get around.
You're going to have to have that.
That's going to be the rules of that
particular airport. "
Whether an airport is using SIDA
badges or something else, airport-issued
identification is designed to
meet the needs of that specific airport
and TSA requirements.
" An airport may not be a SIDA airport,
but they may have some other
kind of program in place that you'll
have to comply with to be at their
location, " Bartoo says.
" However, these airport badges,
they may not qualify as crew badges. "
Crew badges serve a slightly different
purpose, Bartoo notes. They
may not work outside of the specific
airport they're designed to work for.
What's more, requirements and rules
are going to vary from one airport to
another airport.
The Known Crewmember (KCM)
program allows for crew badges, but
Bartoo notes there is limited availability
to that program.
" You must be operating under the
employer's 135 or 125 certificate. You
must be actively operating under
the employer's either Twelve-Five
Standard Security Program or Private
Charter Standard Security Program, "
he explains. " So one of those two TSA
security programs, as well as the
personnel must be an FAA-certified
flight crew.
" Those are the basic components
there you need in order to
qualify for that. "
Badges may be restricted by airport,
but that is not a limitation of
a badge's technology, but rather
current policies and insufficient
alignment in training and standards
across airports, NATA CS officials
note. In areas or individual use cases
where this can be addressed, NATA
CS officials say secure badges can
be applied to operate in multiple
locations based on one identity management
system.
For example, NATA CS has its own
badge and credentialing system,
called CrewID.
Aviation companies in good business
standing that complete a vetting
process are eligible for CrewID,
Bartoo explains.
" You do have to be a company - an
individual can't sign up to get badging
with CrewID. We have to be able
to vet the company, " he says, noting
companies associated with advanced
air mobility, vertiport and UAS/UAV
would be eligible for CrewID badges.
Part 91, corporate flight departments
may want to participate in the
KCM program, designed for charter
operations, but do not qualify. However,
corporate flight departments
can issue employees secure badges
through CrewID.
While Part 135 and Part 125 operators
are potentially eligible for
KCM, Bartoo says there are KCM-eligible
companies that use both
KCM and CrewID.
" How you choose to do that at your
operation is up to you. But it goes
beyond just those FAA-certified flight
Identification badges are a
critical component to airport
security. But a secure badge
doesn't serve its purpose if it
isn't displayed properly.
crew members, " Bartoo says, noting
FBOs and repair stations, contract
pilots and air medical personnel may
also benefit from CrewID.
Alternatively, a company may
print its own badges in-house or utilize
a third-party to have ID badges
produced. When using a third-party
provider, Bartoo says there are key
considerations that should be factored
into that decision.
" What level of security do the
badges offer? " Bartoo says.
" Whatever badging system you're
looking at, make sure they're checking
all those boxes for you.
" If you're doing a vendor or service
provider of some kind, there's probably
other companies that are using
them, " he continues.
" So, what kind of vetting is going
into that? Is anybody looking into
these companies? "
Bartoo also suggests reviewing the
positions available on a badge.
" The identifiable positions help
someone from a security standpoint, "
he says, noting identifiable position
should align with industry standards.
" What kind of positions do
they have to choose from? Are they
kind of just like making them up or
are they more consistent? "
May 2024 || AviationPros.com || 19
http://www.AviationPros.com
may2024

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