Information for STEBs Manufacturers
List of manufacturers or distributors
A list of manufacturers or distributors currently registered with ICAO is available at the linked page. Please note that all the registered manufacturers and distributors are not automatically considered "known suppliers of STEBs" as required by ICAO State letter AS 8/11-07/53 Confidential, dated 6 July 2007.
Appropriate authorities and/or airport operators may request the results of official tests on STEBs for validation purposes. One of the most important criterion for deciding whether STEBs are acceptable or not is full "tamper-evidence", i.e. STEBs should, under all circumstances, show signs of any tampering.
IMPORTANT: Manufacturers and distributors must become a "known supplier of STEBs" if they wish to distribute STEBs to "known suppliers of LAGs". Contact the relevant civil aviation authority for background information on the approval process for known suppliers (ICAO State letter AS 8/11-07/53 Confidential dated 6 July 2007).
IMPORTANT: STEBs must follow the ICAO technical specifications contained in ICAO State letter AS 8/11-07/26 Confidential dated 30 March 2007. Manufacturers and distributors should make sure that the following items are strictly implemented:
Tamper-evident: All STEBs should be tamper-evident in all circumstances, i.e. for any type of tampering attempts and for any period of time (duration of the journey or longer).
Closure: (paragraph 3.2.1) The integral security device/hidden graphic should be irreversibly revealed if an attempt is made to remove the tape by any means (solvent, cutting, temperature, pre-tampering, etc.) and should still show and be active if frozen or heated to the point where the bag begins to melt. Appropriate authorities and/or airport operators may request the results of quality control tests on the security level of the closure.
Borders: (paragraph 3.2.2) The side and bottom weld (wide flat in preference to twin seal) should be 15 mm and have a printed border. The printed text may either be "DO NOT OPEN" or the airport or airline name or any continuous text or design. There are no specifications for the colour and font of the printed text, but the background should be red. Weld construction techniques (embossing) and protection of the inside of the seal to minimize the risk of tampering are strongly encouraged. Appropriate authorities and/or airport operators may request the results of quality control tests on the security level of the borders.
Layout of STEBs: (paragraph A-6) For illustration purposes only, some examples of the layout of ICAO STEBs in all ICAO languages are available. As handles are not mandatory, the State/Manufacturer box and the security code box may be located inside the red box.
Security signs: (paragraph 3.2.1 for the tape, 3.2.2 for the border and 3.2.3 for the happy face) The logo in ai and eps formats with Green Pantone 368C and Red Pantone 485C. The diameter of the happy face should be, at a minimum, 30 to 33 per cent of the width of the STEB.
Three-letter State code: (paragraph 3.2.5) Use Machine Readable Travel Documents (Doc 9303) for the State code (for airport retailers). For the aircraft operator code, use the three letter code. The box should only contain the State/Manufacturer (no airport code and no distributor name).
If the name of the airport needs to be displayed, use either the printed text along the border, or a separate box inside the red box.
If the name of the distributor needs to be displayed in addition to the name of the manufacturer (which is required according to paragraph 3.2.5), use either the printed text along the border, or place it beside the State/Manufacturer box.
Security code or device: (paragraph 3.2.5) No specific technology is imposed for the security code/device. The objectives of such security codes/devices are to ensure proper control over STEBs in the supply chain (from the manufacturer to the retailers) as well as maintaining the traceability of STEBs (on an individual basis) during travel. This requires at least a unique numbering/authentication of STEBs. The use of radio frequency identification chips or other tracking means are encouraged for traceability purposes.
Distribution of STEBs: (paragraph 4.3) It is important to ensure that STEBs are only distributed to legitimate parties. This means that manufacturers/distributors (recognized as known suppliers of STEBs) should request official confirmation that their potential customer is a legitimate "known supplier of LAGs" recognized by the appropriate authorities of the State.
IMPORTANT: Additional requirements are imposed on known suppliers of STEBs for the validation of supply chain security (ICAO State letter AS 8/11-07/53 Confidential dated 6 July 2007).
Please contact the appropriate authority for further information. Questions may also be directed to sfp@icao.int.