National Civil Aviation Security Programme (NCASP)

Under ICAO Annex 17, each contracting state is required to establish and maintain a written national civil aviation security programme. The NCASP translates international Standards and Recommended Practices into the specific obligations that apply in that state: it designates the appropriate authority responsible for security, allocates duties among regulators, airports, airlines and other entities, and sets out the preventive measures, quality-control mechanisms and response procedures to be applied.

The NCASP sits at the top of a hierarchy of security documentation. From it flow more specific programmes — airport security programmes, aircraft operator security programmes, and the security training and quality-control programmes that support them. Because much of its content is sensitive, the NCASP is typically restricted, with entities receiving the portions relevant to their responsibilities. States review and amend it as the threat environment, fleet and infrastructure change.

For an operator, understanding the NCASP of each state it serves is part of meeting its duty of care and remaining compliant across jurisdictions. Aviation security intelligence that is anchored to the regulatory picture — as platforms like AeroVigil aim to provide — helps teams relate threats and advisories to the obligations that actually apply at a given station.