Additional Security Measures Implemented Following IED Scare

Nigel Carter

The scare, according to the Director of Civil Aviation, has prompted authorities to expedite the implementation of certain security measures, including the use of handheld metal detectors for scanning passengers.

Nigel Carter, Director of Civil Aviation

“I can say to you that we do have a national security program and a national security committee that constantly looks at threat levels and so on.  I can say to you that the threat level in Belize is considered low and as such we wouldn’t have expected anything like that to have occurred.  When I say “like that” I’d just like to clarify that when I say like that I mean that we would not have expected that anybody would put onboard an aircraft any type of device.  We don’t expect that there would be any acts of unlawful interference against aviation, and so, again, there was no expectation for that.  Notwithstanding, again, it is a matter of concern for us.  You know, protocols would normally have prevented an item like that from getting onboard an aircraft.  But then again, we are working in an environment where the security protocols are relatively low because of the low threat level and, as such, from time to time a situation like this would occur. The matter was of sufficient concern and the aviation community in Belize that we have taken steps to fast-track certain plans that we had in place and these plans were looking particularly at strengthening aviation security at the domestic aerodromes.  And so, what we have implemented and what you will see with some of the domestic airlines right now are security checks.  We should be doing screening of passengers and so handheld metal detector checks of passengers before they get on the aircraft and from time to time, you will see that there will be physical searches.  Beyond the handheld metal detectors, again, some of these items may not be made of metal and as such they would get past the handheld metal detector and as such you would want to ensure that you do physical pat downs of persons to make sure that they aren’t moving any items onboard those aircrafts.”