SAA tightens airport security

  1. Posted on Monday 23 February 2009 - 10:36
    Mernat
    Image of Mernat
    Mernat Mafirakurewa, AfricaNews reporter in Johannesburg, South Africa
    South African Airways (SAA) crew will have their luggage physically searched as security is being tightened. This follows the detention of 15 crew members in connection with drug trafficking at London's Heathrow International Airport. It is one of the resolutions of a special task team formed by SAA.
    SA airways
    The task team also inlcudes Airports Company SA (ACSA), Customs and the South African Police Service (SAPS) to review measures put in place by SAA after the first incident last month when crew members were detained in Heathrow.

    Among other measures SAA will increase the number of sniffer dogs to assist with narcotics detection and that drug detection devices be installed. By end of next month, updated scanner technology with narcotic detection capability will be installed.

    Other measures resolved by the task team include searching both inbound and outbound aircraft to ensure no unauthorised goods are on board. Also, co-ordination between SAPS and Customs dog units is to be improved.

    Chris Smyth, SAA’s acting CEO, emphasised the need for co-operation among the stakeholders in the task team.

    “SAA has neither the capability nor the mandate for broader policing and security matters and we have requested assistance via the task team. Taking the g government’s concerns and directives into account, ACSA will assume responsibility for security and processing of staff through the SAA crew centre.” The changeover would take place today, he said.

    Bongani Maseko, ACSA’s operations director, said ACSA would continue to work with SAA, the police and Customs to ensure that the resolutions of the task team were implemented.

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