At the 11th Asia Pacific Aviation Security Heads of Regulators (HOR) meeting, Airports Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific emphasized human-related difficulties in airport security and urged regional governments to work together with the airports to tackle such challenges to enable smooth recovery of the industry.
Speaking on the importance of human factors in airport security, Gary Leung, manager – security and facilitation at ACI Asia-Pacific, outlined the various challenges faced by the airports in the region. Leung discussed the scarcity of security screeners to meet the anticipated increase in flight traffic, the increased threat of insiders as a result of employee layoffs and furloughs during the epidemic, and the necessity to further develop security culture in light of airport personnel turnover.
Co-organized by the Singapore Ministry of Transport (MOT) and Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), the virtual HOR meeting was attended by over 70 participants, representing security regulators of states in the Asia-Pacific region and other industry associations. The HOR meeting provided a platform for security professionals to discuss and share information on key global aviation security developments and emerging challenges faced by the region as well as explore opportunities for collaboration.
Furthermore, the participants extensively examined the most recent update to ICAO Annex 17, which took effect in November 2022, and a number of states were asked to share their experiences in complying with the most recent regulatory changes. It was agreed that regional cooperation between states and industry will be key to the recovery of the industry. The HOR meeting would continue to serve as an important platform to facilitate regional collaboration in aviation security going forward. The next HOR meeting will be held in 2024 with the exact date and venue to be confirmed.
To find out more about Airports Council International’s latest developments, click here.