About 40,000 air travel workers face extra background security checks this year under new laws.
The Government implemented a new EU directive requiring tougher background checks on those working in aviation, and candidates for jobs in the industry, on January 1st this year.
As a result, an estimated 35,000-42,000 staff in the business face extra checks on their backgrounds to ensure they can continue working in the industry.
Pilots, cabin crew, ground handling staff and many other groups of aviation workers need special identity passes issued following background checks that include establishing if they have criminal convictions.
EU directive 2019/103 requires “enhanced” checks, normally carried out by states’ security or intelligence services, for all aviation workers.
Workers must renew these passes every year and a special unit of An Garda Síochána carries out the checks.
