“The sky is not the limit!” : A study on possible measures to enhance border security in General Aviation in the English Channel area
Abstract
The United Kingdom being an island, reaching it is not obvious if you are an irregular migrant or a criminal trying to smuggle illicit goods. The purpose of this research is to determine if General Aviation, which involves smaller aircrafts and helicopters flying around for pleasure or business, poses a threat to border security in the English Channel area and what vulnerabilities there are in that case. The main research question therefore is what measures can mitigate the threats and vulnerabilities and enhance border security in the General Aviation segment.
Description
1. Introduction ; 2. Literature Review ; 2.1. Introduction ; 2.2. What is General Aviation? ; 2.2.1. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) ; 2.2.2. European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) ; 2.2.3. International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations (IAOPA) ; 2.2.4. United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA) ; 2.2.5. General Aviation definition used in this research ; 2.3. Border crossing crime ; 2.3.1. General ; 2.3.2. Smuggling illicit goods ; 2.3.3. Human smuggling ; 2.4. Partnerships ; 2.4.1. Reasons for joining ; 2.4.2. Levels of partnership ; 2.5. Chapter summary ; 3. Methodology ; 3.1. Introduction ; 3.2. Research design ; 3.3. Sample strategy ; 3.4. Data collection ; 3.4.1. Desk research ; 3.4.2. Focus groups ; 3.4.3. Semi-structured interviews ; 3.5. Data analysis ; 3.5.1. Desk research ; 3.5.2. Focus groups ; 3.5.3. Semi-structured interviews ; 3.6. Research quality indicators ; 3.6.1. Trustworthiness ; 3.6.2. Authenticity ; 3.7. Ethical considerations ; 3.7.1. Desk research ; 3.7.2. Focus groups and interviews ; 4. Findings ; 4.1. Introduction ; 4.2. Research results in general ; 4.3. General Aviation ; 4.3.1. Definition and Legal Requirements ; 4.3.2. Airfields ; 4.3.3. Aircrafts ; 4.3.4. Pilots ; 4.4. Criminal activities ; 4.4.1. Type of crimes committed ; 4.4.2. Modus operandi ; 4.4.3. Detection ; 4.5. Enforcement ; 4.5.1. Threats ; 4.5.2. Vulnerabilities ; 4.5.3. Cooperation ; 4.5.4. Possible measures ; 4.6. What about Brexit? ; 5. Conclusions and Recommendations ; 5.1. Introduction ; 5.2. Research questions ; 5.3. Discussion ; 5.3.1. General Aviation ; 5.3.2. Criminal activities ; 5.3.3. Partnerships/Enforcement ; 5.4. Limitations and future research ; 5.4.1. Possible Limitations related to the Researcher ; 5.4.2. Future research ; 5.5. Recommendations ; 5.5.1. On political level ; 5.5.2. On operational level