CAA to establish four-tier security system at airports

Around 10,000 ASF personnel also bifurcated into Northern and Southern commands

ISLAMABAD: In an attempt to restore confidence of foreign airlines on security arrangements at Pakistan’s airports, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is in the process of implementing an integrated four-tier security system, in and around major airports of the country.

Besides securing areas surrounding the airports, including the funnel areas, around 10,000 personnel of the Airport Security Force (ASF) have now been bifurcated into Northern and Southern commands, each headed by a serving brigadier who will report to a major general of the Pakistan Army. Earlier, the ASF was headed by a serving brigadier.



“The four tier security system is now in place at Lahore airport while it is being installed at the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi. Gradually this will be implemented at all major airports,” Adviser to Prime Minister on Aviation Shujaat Azeem told reporters on Tuesday.

In the first phase, a newly adopted integrated security system has been completed at the Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore at a cost of Rs400 million. Soon Karachi and Islamabad will have the same system, he said.

The CAA officials said the four tier security cordon with a centralised control room will be at par with National Engineering and Scientific Commission that administers country’s most sensitive installations. Besides security of the areas surrounding the airports, special emphasis is being laid on securing funnel areas – the areas that come under air route when a plane goes for landing.



“At the airport buildings in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, state of the art Japanese security equipment including, new scanners, have been installed,” Azeem added.

After a brazen terrorist attack at Karachi airport in June 2014, the CAA had purchased armoured personnel carrier (APCs) from Heavy Industrial Complex Taxila at a cost of Rs500 million and deployed a specially trained force at airports.

“Meanwhile, more policing items have been supplied to the ASF staffers. Rs45 million have been spent to provide the ASF staff vehicles and motorcycles for patrolling,” said the PM’s adviser while sharing some of the measures to secure airports.



Azeem said in order to make air transportation safe, secure and efficient – as enshrined in National Aviation Policy-2015 unveiled by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on March 19, 2015 – independent safety investigation boards have been set up to investigate any mishap.

“This will make the investigation process transparent,” he said, adding that the old conventional radio navigation aids system has been replaced with new state of the art Doppler system at the Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar airports.

“Moreover, an umbrella project with the cooperation of Japanese government for state of the art technology transfer to upgrade current weather forecasting system is being at the implementation stage,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25^th, 2015.