Air transport and destabilizing commodity flows

The air trafficking of illicit goods is a major factor in the continuation of conflicts. However, air freigt operators that have been identified in the trafficking of such commodity flows have also been employed to provide services for peace operations and humanitarian aid programmes.

This policy paper presents ways that existing EU mechanisms and programmes can be adapted and applied to tackle illicit commodity flows, of small arms, drugs and valuable raw materials, via air transport. It provides policy options based around monitoring and controlling the air cargo carriers that have been named in trafficking reports.

The policy paper makes the following recommendations:

• The EU should deny humanitarian aid, peace support, stability operations and defence logistics supply chain contracts to air transport companies engaged in illicit commodity flows

• The EU should support African partners to improve air safety through the provision of ‘dual-use’ transport development capacity targeting air cargo companies engaged in illicit commodity flows

• Planning and operational structures should take into account the key role of air transport companies and provide sensitisation, awareness and reporting training.

• The EU’s air safety mechanism should be refined and resourced taking into account evasion techniques used by air cargo companies to access EU markets.

The report concludes that the application of cheap empirically proven, data-centred project models and field research can provide EU policymakers with coordinated information systems necessary for monitoring air transporters engaged in illicit commodity flows in Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, South America and Central Asia.