Additional airport security to come from police

THE HOUSE has green-lighted €450,000 in additional government spending for the hiring of around 100 police officers for aviation security at the island’s two airports.

The sum, part of the supplementary budget, is earmarked for the training and salaries of policemen who will man posts, such as baggage screening. The extra funds are necessary to create the 100 or so positions after control over aviation security reverted back to the state. This is separate from airport security (anti-terrorism, etc.) and flight safety (civil aviation).

In 2005 a private operator was awarded a 25-year BOT (build-operate-transfer) contract to run the airports on the initial understanding they would be in charge of aviation security. That arrangement was subsequently reversed, making aviation security the responsibility of the state.

In yet another twist, during the Christofias administration, an attempt was made to renegotiate the deal and give the remit back to the operator – but the negotiations with operator Hermes fell through, leaving the state still in charge.

That in turn means it is now Cypriot taxpayers, rather than travellers by and large, who are picking up the tab for airport fees where these concern aviation security.

Money issues aside, debate raged at the plenum yesterday on whether contracted privateers should be entrusted with any level of security at the country’s two ports of entry.

A few deputies went as far to as to cite concerns about espionage. Private employees hired at Paphos airport might use their position and proximity to spy on the nearby ‘Andreas Papandreou’ military airbase, it was argued.

Before the bill was voted on, DISY MP Averoff Neophytou, whose party voted against hiring police officers, said it should come as no news that many security posts at the airports are farmed out to civilian personnel.

“These people are already there,” he said, downplaying the emphasis on security concerns.