SECURITY issues at the country’s international airport still maintain International Civil Association Organisations (ICAO) standards.
This was revealed by Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation and Communication Francis Lomo in an interview yesterday.
He said, the country is no different to any other country in the world that undergo ICAO’s audit to justify whether security issues at the international airport terminal has met international security standards or not.
“We have never had any serious issues with our airport security. According to audits carried out by ICAO, we still comply with their security standards, except for a few minor issues that we are slowly addressing,” Lomo said.
He said there are standard security equipment at the airport terminal that can do the job.
He pointed out that cargo checks, body scanners are among other equipment that he thinks security at the airport is not a real concern as people might have thought.
Lomo said, his ministry is working hard to ensure security at the airport terminal meets the ICAO standards for the safety of all passengers and civilians departing and arriving in the country.
However he said the only security issue raised by ICAO is to close the access doors at the check in counter and at back door of the Belama Lounge which posed some security threats.
He said, Solomon Airlines staff were given special privileges to go through these doors instead of checking in or checking out just like other passengers.
Lomo highlighted that although these airline officers access through these doors they have undergone the similar checks at the back like anybody else.
But according to the ICAO, it has called on the mMnistry to close these doors for security reasons.
“We are taking that into consideration and will work on that. Otherwise we have complied to ICAO standards and we would like to maintain and improve on whatever ICAO audit stressed for improvement,” Lomo added.
In the past, the public has raised concerns regarding security checks and procedures at the airport which they think has put the country’s citizens at risk to terrorism issues, drug smuggling and human trafficking to name a few.
By DANIEL NAMOSUAIA
