Cannie-screening company Global K9 has called for changes to UK rules around the screening of aerospace cargo that result in shipments being transported to the European Union for checking.
Speaking at the UK’s Multimodal event, Global K9 chief commercial officer Chris Daniels said that aircraft engines cannot currently be screened by certified canine teams in the UK.
As a result, shipments are routinely transported by road to airports including Liège and Brussels, where canine screening is permitted under European regulations.
Once screened in Europe, that cargo can then be accepted as screened cargo by the UK.
This process creates unnecessary costs, additional emissions, and inefficiencies across the supply chain, explained Daniels.
“Aerospace cargo in the UK currently goes on a costly and polluting detour,” said Daniels.
“Despite canine screening for aircraft engines being adopted in other countries and supported by experienced screening providers, regulation has not yet caught up with operational capability.
“We need policy to reflect what is possible, and what is beneficial for the industry, while maintaining safety as the absolute priority.”
GK9 began European operations in December 2024 and now operates in the Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK, with Free Running Explosive Detection Dogs (FREDDs) stationed at London Heathrow Airport, London Gatwick Airport, and Aberdeen International Airport.
Daniels added that greater collaboration between industry and regulators could help modernise UK screening policy while maintaining the highest security standards.
Daniels also said permitting certified canine screening for aircraft engines in the UK would reduce unnecessary cross-border trucking, lower operating costs for exporters, and improve the competitiveness of the UK’s air cargo sector by keeping more screening activity within the country.
“Logistics is one of the largest contributors to transport emissions,” added Daniels.
“Where safe, secure alternatives exist that reduce unnecessary movements, we have a responsibility to explore them.
“Global K9 would welcome the opportunity to work alongside UK regulators to help deliver the safest, most effective, and most efficient cargo screening methods available.”
Earlier this year, Global K9 chief operating officer Roland Beason called on the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to clarify regulations around canine screening for dangerous goods.
The TSA does not publish standalone, K9-specific protocols for dangerous goods screening.
Instead, dangerous goods oversight is governed by existing aviation security and hazardous materials regulations, with operational responsibility resting with the air carrier under its TSA-approved security programme.
