COMMUNICATIONS Minister Averoff Neophytou yesterday denied the existence of a report decrying inadequate security at the island’s airports, saying he had “never heard of it”.
According to a story in Phileleftheros, the report was prepared by a committee examining the level of security at airports and harbours. That committee’s findings stressed that “serious security gaps” needed to be filled; it went on to recommend the setting up of a national airports security agency.
Most of the lax security problems were pinpointed at Larnaca, the island’s busiest airport. The report proposed that a separate police unit be set up charged solely with airport security, and that this unit should come under the Civil Aviation Agency. The current regime has police officers, directly under the orders of their superintendent, detached to airport duty.
The story claimed the committee’s findings had been relayed to four government ministers, and that a meeting was scheduled for late this month to discuss the issue.
Neophytou said he was not aware whether such a report existed, adding that if it did, it was certainly not official. He noted that international organisations had already scrutinised security at Cyprus airports in the aftermath of the September 11 events, and that the findings were positive.
“While we do not claim perfection, nonetheless security is constantly being beefed up and the situation is highly satisfactory,” Neophytou added. Double baggage checks were now in place, as well as stricter control over hand-held objects and items. There was always room for improvement, he went on, citing last week’s incident at a British airport when a man sneaked explosives past baggage control.
Neophytou departs tomorrow for Montreal, Canada, where he will attend an ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) summit from February 19 to 20. The high-level, ministerial conference will be focusing on a global strategy to strengthen aviation security.
Other conference agenda items include a review of the economic impact of the events of September 11 on global air transport, and the analysis of emerging and potential threats to aviation. Currently, 187 countries, including Cyprus, are ICAO members.
The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.
