Global K9 urges the UK to reform cargo screening rules
Global K9 urged the UK to update canine cargo screening rules, saying current regulations increase costs, emissions, and supply chain inefficiencies.
Chris Daniels, Chief Commercial Officer, Global K9
The UK should review its regulations on canine screening for aerospace cargo, as the current policy is increasing costs, emissions and operational inefficiencies across the supply chain, according to Chris Daniels, Chief Commercial Officer of Global K9 (GK9).
Speaking at the Multimodal 2026 exhibition in Birmingham, Daniels said certified canine teams in the UK are not currently authorised to screen aircraft engines. As a result, such shipments are routinely transported by road to airports including Liege and Brussels, where canine screening is permitted under European regulations.
After being screened in Europe, the cargo is recognised as screened and can be transported back into the UK, a process Daniels said adds unnecessary expense, delays and carbon emissions to the supply chain.
"Aerospace cargo in the UK currently goes on a costly and polluting detour. 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”, said Daniels.
Global K9 expanded its European operations in December 2024 and now operates in the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK, with its Free Running Explosive Detection Dogs (FREDDs) deployed at London Heathrow, London Gatwick and Aberdeen airports.
In the United States, the company works closely with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to help shape canine cargo screening regulations. It also became the first organisation to operate a TSA-approved Certified Cargo Screening Facility–K9 (CCSF-K9).
Daniels added that allowing certified canine teams to screen aircraft engines in the UK would eliminate unnecessary cross-border trucking, reduce costs for exporters, cut carbon emissions and strengthen the competitiveness of the UK's air cargo sector by retaining more screening activity within the country.