Frequently asked questions

AESA shall carry out between two and three annual certifications, depending on the availability of the State Security Forces and Corps, the facilities, the needs of the market, and the approved binomies, among other causes.

The publication of a new certification will be announced on the EASA website about one and a half months before the start of the certification in order to be able to collect and evaluate the documentation provided by the candidates for the tests.

The web address where everything related to certification is collected is as follows: Explosives Detection Dog Equipment (EPDE)

There is a list on the EASA website specifying the details of the teams that can currently carry out air cargo screening with their contact details and the company to which they belong.

Explosive Detection Dog Teams (EPDE)

The Aviation Safety State Agency (EASA) may only deliver the documentation related to the certification and on the explosives to be assessed to:

• Security companies: By verifying that it is authorised as such by the Ministry of the Interior, in addition, when the person collecting the documentation is not the manager of the company, they must bring an authorisation from the manager in order to be able to collect it.
• Training centres accredited by the Ministry of the Interior. They must provide the accrediting documentation, in addition, the person in charge of collecting the documentation, in the event of not being the director of the Training Centre, must carry an authorisation from the same in order to be able to collect the information from AESA.
• Training centres subcontracted by training centres accredited by the Ministry of the Interior. Upon presentation of a certificate proving this and by subsequent verification of the training centre's documentation.

AESA will only deliver the documentation on the certification process at its offices, located at Paseo de la Castellana 112. 28046 (Madrid, Spain). In order to do so, an appointment must be made in advance through the mailbox seguridadpde.aesa@seguridadaerea.es.

The delivery of the documentation will be made after signing a confidentiality agreement.

The certification process is free of charge. However, the State Aviation Safety Agency offers a series of theoretical and practical courses, which are not compulsory, that interested parties would have to pay for.

In Madrid.

Currently AESA-certified dog teams can only inspect air cargo.

Yes, individuals who are not working for a private security company can apply, but they must meet two conditions:

• They must be private security guards.
• Comply with the requirements of the call for applications

If they pass the certification, they must belong to a private security company accredited by the Ministry of the Interior in order to be able to carry out their duties.

The requirements for eligibility are specified in each call for applications. The information will be published on the EASA website about a month and a half before the assessment tests.

The State Aviation Safety Agency may conduct, subject to a minimum number of attendees, theoretical and practical preparation courses which are not mandatory.

Preparation course for the theoretical examination:

• It shall cover the following topics:
  • Documentation and operations in the air cargo logistics chain, given by EASA instructors. (the hours of this course are sufficient to comply with point 3 of the programme included in section 1.2 of this call).
  • Preparation for certification. Review of Regulation (EU) No 573/2010 and Commission Decision C (2010) 3572.
  • Basic explosives training.
• The duration of the course would be 6 hours, provided that there is a minimum number of attendees.
• The price of the 6-hour theoretical course is 384 €.

Practical course:

• AESA would conduct a practical course of about 3 hours duration, provided there is a minimum number of attendees, next to the certification facilities.
• The material to practice will be provided by the applicants (cans, boxes, etc.) and the price of the 3-hour practical classes is 192 €.

The certification is valid on an annual basis, i.e. every year the equipment has to be reassessed.