Airport Security Ready

Details

Travel Tips

Wednesday, 30 December 2009 05:55

By Andy Liburd

As the holiday season wraps up, travellers returning to the United States should not expect a hassle free experience at the VC Bird International Airport.

They will face heightened security as the US reacts to a Nigerian man’s attempt to blow up a flight into Detroit on Christmas Day.

Head of Security at the VC Bird International Airport Jermain Anthony told Caribarena yesterday that each passenger preparing to board a US-bound flight should expect a hundred percent “pat down”.

He said this was not an entirely new procedure, but checks were previously carried out at random. Now, everyone will be subjected to it.

All passenger accessible property, including handbags and other carry on luggage, will also be subject to search.

Movement around the aircraft and the use of electronic devices an hour before landing at the US airport will also be prohibited.

The increased security measures bring an extra burden on the resources at the airport, which was already bracing to deal with holiday traffic.

But Anthony said the security department was up to the task, and systems were in place to deal with situations where extra personnel are needed.

He said passengers should expect delays, since some airlines have added two to three minutes to the wait for each person boarding aircraft.

He further advised that the efforts by the authorities in Antigua & Barbuda were not mounted in reaction to any situation that developed in Antiguan airspace.   An aircraft recently declared an in-flight emergency and had to use the VC Bird International Airport for an unscheduled stop.  Anthony said the problem was purely a technical one involving an engine on the aircraft.

The new security arrangements will remain in place until further notice.

 

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