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Airport Insecurity screamed last Sunday Newsday’s headline in an apparent reference to the armed robbery in the public arrival area of Piarco International Airport on June 6 at about 10 pm, and the shooting of a man, who had just arrived from Panama, while seated in parked vehicle outside the arrival area at about 2 am on April 17.
These two incidents coupled with recent events are ominous signs that cannot be ignored and bring the security systems at TT’s airports into focus.
Aviation security (AVSEC) is a highly specialised field, the objective of which is to safeguard aircraft, passengers, crew, airports, ground personnel, air navigation facilities and the general public against acts of unlawful interference, such as terrorism or sabotage.
Airports require trained aviation security officers in accordance with ICAO AVSEC standards supported by robust technology-driven systems and equipment.
The Airports Authority of TT's (AATT) security force is highly trained and most officers are precepted in accordance with the Supplemental Police Act. However, the recent incidents raise questions regarding equipment and manpower levels required for the AATT to effectively discharge its responsibilities in accordance with the National Civil Aviation Security Plan (NCASP) approved by the National Security Council.
The ICAO Annex 17 Section 4.2.3 requires TT to ensure that identification systems are established and implemented with respect to people and vehicles in order to prevent unauthorised access to airside and security restricted areas. Access shall be granted only to those with an operational need or other legitimate reason to be there. Identity and authorisation shall be verified at designated checkpoints before access is allowed to airside and security restricted areas.
A condition for the issuance of airport security access passes to eligible personnel is a thorough security background check. This is normally outsourced to third parties and the extent to which the AATT can validate the thoroughness of the background check is unknown.
[caption id="attachment_1160183" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The new ANR Robinson International Airport in Crown Point, Tobago. Although commissioned in March 2025 by the former PNM government the airport is yet to be opened for flights. - Photo by Visual Styles[/caption]
In 1998 during the tenure of Basdeo Panday as prime minister, he received information as chairman of the National Security Council which caused him to direct the AATT to immediately recall all airport security passes and to only reissue passes to legitimate applicants subject to the appropriate security background checks. Needless to say, a number of previous pass holders did not meet the qualification requirements for airport security passes.
Likewise, the airport VIP car park is intended for use by senior government officials, other high office holders and diplomats.
Like the Priority Bus Route (PBR) letter pass, some holders of airport security access passes and the VIP car park pass do not legitimately qualify to be such holders. The airport security pass represents a status symbol and is used to gain access to restricted areas such as the immigration and customs halls to fast track the facilitation of friends and relatives. In some instances, people had to be evicted from the customs hall by officers. A review of the people holding these passes would unearth surprises.
There are a number of security agencies that operate at TT’s airports. These agencies cannot work at cross purposes and their activities must be properly co-ordinated.
Section 4 of the AATT Act establishes a security committee consisting of a chairman appointed by the chairman of the National Security Council, the chairman of the AATT, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Commanding Officer of the Regiment; the Commissioner of Police, the Chief Fire Officer and a senior officer appointed by the chairman of the National Security Council.
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The security committee is responsible for the maintenance of security at all TT airports and is accountable directly to the Prime Minister and in his/her absence to the Minister responsible for National Security.
The security committee appears to be dormant, but must now discharge its statutory duties to provide strategic management and co-ordination of TT airports' security systems in accordance with the law and associated regulations.
Due to existing manpower levels, the redeployment of manpower may be only redeploying a problem. What is required is a comprehensive review and overhaul of the airports' AVSEC systems to identify areas of weaknesses and immediately implement remedial action.
There are weak links in the airport’s AVSEC chain which, for obvious reasons, cannot be discussed in public.
Detecting and preventing attempts to compromise security, including terrorism and sabotage must be the top priority.
Utmost care must be taken to ensure that airport employees who have direct contact with aircraft are subject to very thorough security background checks. Systems such as “pat downs” must be enhanced using state-of-the art equipment to prevent the carriage of prohibited items, such as weapons and explosives, onto aircraft.
One of the world's first terrorist attack of an aircraft while in flight was Cubana 455 on October 6, 1976, which was brought down by two time bombs, when the airliner was flying from Barbados to Jamaica.
On October 5, 1976, Freddy Lugo and Hernán Ricardo Lozano left Caracas for Trinidad, arriving at 1 am. The following day, they sought to board Cubana flight number CU-455, which was scheduled to fly from Guyana to Havana, Cuba, via Trinidad, Barbados, and Kingston, after rejecting an offer of an earlier flight with BWIA. With a member of the Cuban fencing team waiting to board the Cubana flight assisting with English interpretation, the pair were able to board the later Cubana flight. The pair left the flight at Barbados, and later returned to Trinidad. Evidence suggests that the bombs were planted while the aircraft was enroute from Trinidad to Barbados.
Eleven minutes after takeoff from Barbados' Seawell Airport and at an altitude of 18,000 feet, two bombs exploded on board and the aircraft crashed into the sea. All 73 people on board perished including 57 Cubans, 11 Guyanese, and five North Koreans.
Hours after the explosions, Trinidadian authorities arrested Lugo and Lozano at a Port of Spain hotel and sent them back to Venezuela where they were charged, tried and sentenced.
The opinions of the writer are based on over 47 years of working at TT’s airports in various roles of which 16 years were spent as the national regulator of all TT’s aviation security functions with the responsibility for ensuring compliance with the ICAO AVSEC standards.
 
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