Passengers flying between Barbados and the United States of America could eventually do so under the protection of air marshals, as efforts continue in earnest to upgrade security systems at the Grantley Adams International Airport, Barbados (GAIA).
The announcement was made by the Minister of International Transport, George Hutson, who informed that discussions were ongoing on an Air Marshal Agreement with the US, which would permit armed marshals to be deployed on board international flights to and from the United States should intelligence show that they are necessary.
Noting that the presence of air marshals was one of the counter-terrorism measures developed by the US since 9/11, Minister Hutson said the island's dependence on tourism could expose it to some threats, especially if terrorists were prevented from striking their targets at home.
"If security is heavy at home and it is not practicable to strike there, then they will look for weak links in the system and strike ...so we need to make sure that in Barbados our security systems are such that any such incidents are restricted," the Minister underlined. He said that this entailed the constant upgrade and monitoring of security systems and a reduction in external breaches including perimeter fences around the GAIA.
"The post 9/11 reality for countries like Barbados, which depend heavily on visitors from North America and the United Kingdom, is that the forces of terrorism are prepared to strike at any point. The government must, therefore, ensure that the highest level of security is in place to protect citizens and visitors alike."
Hutson further noted that modern-day terrorists were particularly skilled in exploiting the weaknesses in countries' security systems:
"They study us as intently as we study them, and they spend many years plotting their next attack based on the information they gather. Terrorists and those engaged in illegal activity are innovative, resilient, well-trained, highly organised and frequently employ sophisticated advanced technologies and communications systems to plan and orchestrate their attacks. As a result of these characteristics, terrorists have completely transformed the security landscape around the world," Hutson added.
With the number of passengers using GAIA increasing by 8.5%, Minister Hutson stated that it was the government's intention to position GAIA as an aviation hub for the region, noting that:
"Consequently, this also means that the government and airport stakeholders must be proactive in putting in place the necessary security measures which will keep the travelling public secure," he said.
The Minister announced that advanced training would now be offered by an industry specialist with the view to making Barbados 'a hard target' for terrorists.
"The most important thing in security is sharing of information and intelligence, and this is what we are trying to achieve here."
The training will cover cargo, aviation and check point security; hostage negotiations; emergency responses and bomb disposal.
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