COMMUNICATIONS and Works Minister Maria Malaktou-Pamballi yesterday urged the public “not to panic” after reports emerged that EU inspectors had found security deficiencies at Paphos airport.
According to Phileleftheros, who broke the story, the airport was found not to comply with EU security standards and that it risked being placed under a special monitoring regime.
This means that other EU member states could take extra measures for inbound flights from Paphos, including additional passenger and security checks or, in the worst-case scenario, issuing a travel advisory against the airport for their citizens.
The paper said the latest follow-up inspection took place in September, with EU officials sufficiently concerned to notify Cypriot authorities, according to procedure.
Under EC Regulation 2320, the EU has an obligation to advise all member states whenever deficiencies are noted at any one airport within the bloc.
Regulation 1486, which lays down procedures for conducting inspections in the field of civil aviation security, states:
“Within three months of the date of dispatch of an inspection report, the appropriate authority shall submit in writing to the Commission an answer to the report.”
During this time, communication between the EU and national authorities is strictly confidential.
The response must:
(a) address the findings and recommendations; and
(b) provide an action plan, specifying actions and deadlines, to remedy any identified deficiencies.
The Commission may then take any of the following steps in the event of deficiencies and following receipt of the answer: it may submit comments to the appropriate authority or request further explanation to clarify all or part of the answer; conduct a follow-up to check the implementation of remedial actions, the minimum notice for such a follow-up being two weeks; or initiate an infringement procedure in respect of the Member State concerned.
It is not the first time that Cyprus has been in hot water over airport safety, with three previous EU inspections (in 2004) also pointing to shortcomings.
Minister Pamballi, who as Communications Minister is the political supervisor of the Civil Aviation Authority, yesterday sought to play down the gravity of the reports.
“The inspections do not relate to flight safety. They concern passenger and baggage screening, and issues such as access of employees and vehicles to restricted areas in an airport.
“Beyond that, I can neither confirm nor deny the reports. These are not matters to be discussed in public,” she added, noting that communication between the EU and a member-state is “top secret.”
“I cannot comment further other than to say that we should not give out the wrong impression that flight safety is being compromised, thus creating panic. This is purely about airports.”
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