Global K9 (GK9) is calling on UK regulators to modernise the country’s canine cargo screening rules, arguing that current regulations are creating unnecessary costs and inefficiencies for the aerospace supply chain.
Speaking at the Multimodal 2026 exhibition in Birmingham, Chris Daniels, Chief Commercial Officer at Global K9, said certified canine teams in the UK are still not authorised to screen aircraft engines. As a result, those shipments are regularly transported by road to airports such as Liège and Brussels, where European regulations allow canine screening.
Once screened overseas, the cargo is recognised as secure and can be transported back into the UK—a process Daniels described as an avoidable detour that increases both costs and carbon emissions.
“Aerospace cargo in the UK currently goes on a costly and polluting detour,” Daniels said.
“Canine screening for aircraft engines is already being used in other countries and supported by experienced screening providers. The capability exists, but UK regulations haven’t kept pace. We need policies that reflect what’s possible while continuing to make safety the absolute priority.”
Global K9 expanded into Europe in December 2024 and now operates across the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands, with its Free Running Explosive Detection Dogs (FREDDs) deployed at London Heathrow, London Gatwick and Aberdeen International Airport.
The company also brings experience from the United States, where it works closely with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on canine cargo screening regulations. Global K9 was also the first organisation to operate a TSA-approved Certified Cargo Screening Facility–K9 (CCSF-K9).
Drawing on that experience, Daniels believes closer collaboration between regulators and industry could help modernise UK screening procedures without compromising security.
According to Global K9, allowing certified canine teams to screen aircraft engines domestically would significantly reduce cross-border trucking, lower costs for exporters, improve supply chain efficiency and strengthen the competitiveness of the UK’s air cargo sector by keeping more screening activity within the country.
“Logistics remains one of the biggest contributors to transport emissions,” Daniels added. “Where safe and secure alternatives exist that eliminate unnecessary transport movements, we have a responsibility to use them. Global K9 is ready to work alongside UK regulators to deliver cargo screening methods that are not only secure, but also more efficient and sustainable.”
