APEC could attract terrorists’ attention, says Minister

Aviation terrorism has not been a significant issue for Papua New Guinea to date, however with the 2018 APEC summit coming, it may be a suitable trigger attracting terrorists’ attention.

Civil Aviation Minister Davis Steven stated this during the aviation safety and security conference in Kokopo, East New Britain, recently.

Minister Steven says this is a reason for stepping up efforts to ensure aviation operators, airports and passengers are secure, up to 2018 and beyond.

He urged the aviation industry to be educated and kept informed about the trends in aviation security to minimise such risks.

“Aviation security risks remain a constant threat for all countries, including PNG,” he said.

He drew attention to recent aviation attacks such as in Brussels in March this year, and again in Istanbul Airport in June.

He said terrorists were targeting landside areas of airports.

“It confirms that terrorists’ attraction to soft targets and securing of landside areas is now more important,” Minister Steven stated.

He said while aviation regulators generally respond to the threats by legislation, operator requirements and surveillance such as passenger and cargo screening, terrorists however, respond by the use of innovative explosives devices.

“...the use of innovative explosives devices [that] are hard to detect are placed on one mode of transport with the intention that it will explode when it is subsequently placed on an aircraft,” the Minister said.

He says that ‘thankfully’, while PNG has not experienced such drastic aviation terrorism tactics, this is most possibly due to the fact that there is an ‘absence of a suitable trigger’.

He says with the world attention on the APEC 2018, it may possibly be the trigger to attract terrorist attention.

Meantime, police in the province have been in training for possible terrorist activities in the lead up and during the APEC 2018.

Their training coincides with the province’s hosting of this high level aviation safety and security conference which encourages a full collaboration of efforts from all aviation stakeholders.

Author: 
Joshua Arlo