(Trinidad Guardian) Seventeen months after the Airports Authority of T&T (AATT) came up with a plan to correct security deficiencies at the Piarco International Airport, measures have not been put in place to minimise risks to passengers and employees. The confirmation came from AATT’s chairman Gerald Hadeed who is on sick leave.
On Thursday, Hadeed admitted that most of the matters highlighted in the airport’s update of corrective action plan (security audit) dated February 17-20, 2012 were not addressed. “Nothing was done,” Hadeed said. Hadeed said security matters at the airport was a worrying concern.
“It is a worrying concern, not only to me, it should be a worrying concern to the Government because the security at the airport is as lax as you could ever want it to be. It is something the Government should take cognisance of and correct it, whether I am there or not.” The 22-page plan was devised by a security committee, comprising management of AATT and its security department.
A copy of the plan which was leaked to the Sunday Guardian showed its findings. The findings showed there were deficiencies in several areas, among them administrative and organisation, aviation security training, access control, passenger and cabin baggage, hold baggage, quality control and management to acts of unlawful interference.
Under the headline “findings” it revealed:
• No formal process for the examination and certification of security personnel assigned to conduct screening of passengers and cabin baggage including on-the-job assessment.
• Training records for security personnel not accurately maintained and up-to-date.
• Security personnel only received training upon joining the AATT and not thereafter.
• No records to indicate that screening officers and screening supervisors successfully completed training in the detection of X-ray examination of the simulated dynamite bomb, simulated hand grenade, the encapsulated handguns and opaque test objects.
• A vehicle and its occupants were allowed access to airside without being searched or screened.
• No foot patrol observed.
• Several doors on the arrival level not functioning properly. When pulled or pushed, the locking mechanism detaches without using keypads and magnetic access cards to open the door.
• Boarding gate doors left opened and unattended while no aircraft operation were taking place.
