Experts seek antidote to aviation security challenges

Stakeholders in the aviation sector have expressed the need for the industry players to provide strong security measures, as well for travelling passengers to imbibe the culture of self-security, which would improve safety at the nation’s airports.

They concluded that terrorism threat had been potent and remains the greatest challenge to aviation safety and a source of worry to the world. Consequently, they tasked aviation security personnel to be more vigilant at all times as terrorists are evolving new ways of beating security.

The experts also advocated for inter-agency sharing of information at the airports, stating that the provision of several explosive detector equipment and body scanner machines at major airports would not achieve much without the cooperation of security operatives and the other stakeholders in the nation’s aviation industry.

To them, pilfering at the airports had become an embarrassment, just as they urged the authorities to improve surveillance of luggage and for travelers to keep their eyes on the luggage.
Speaking at a seminar recently, with theme, “Dealing with emerging challenges in aviation security’’, the

Acting Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA) Mr. Joyce Nkemekolam, who was represented by Director Consumer Protection Directorate, Alhaji Adamu Abdullahi , stated the  need for passengers to keep an eye on their luggage to guard against pilferages and stealing from the aircraft.

He noted that through the CCTV cameras installed on the aircraft, the NCAA and other security agencies at the airports have been able to arrest those who commit infractions.
His words: “We should be first and foremost the first to enhance security and safety wherever we find ourselves”.

The Chief Executive Officer, Mish Aviation, Capt Ibrahim Msheila, who spoke on the role of journalists in reporting aviation industry, stated also that security is everybody’s business and not the airlines operators job alone, adding that ground handling companies should continue to contribute to the security of passengers by ensuring that they collect their luggage at the baggage collection point with dispatch.

He also called for sharing of information among the agencies, airline operators to enhance safety and security at the nation’s airports

Speaking in the same vein, the Managing Director of the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency Muyiwa (NAMA), Mr. Nnamdi Udoh, who presented a paper on “safety and security using the minister of aviation’s road map”, said that the national safety and security challenge has been taken care by ICAO annex 17 and stipulated what everybody should do .

He said that Nigeria like other countries is facing security threats at their airports, just as he identified natural challenges and human resources, post 9/11 era as some critical areas for improvement.

Udoh pointed out that human resources would require the leadership to have modern aviation in Nigeria where there would be safer skies, modern airports, secured, autonomous civil aviation regulators, low cost carriers, and strong project matrix enviornment to actualise plans, highly skilled and modern workforce.

He also identified safety challenges such as accidents and incidents caused by safety gaps that could increase into security issues through human errors.

He canvassed the training and retraining of core personnel, succession planning very important, workforce motivation, clearly defined roles, responsibility and performance.
http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=125052:experts-seek-antidote-to-aviation-security-challenges&catid=32:business-travel&Itemid=563
Author:Chika Goodluck-Ogazi
Culled from The Guardian Nigeria