Ghana Airports Company steps up aviation security with ICAO-backed initiative

The country has launched an Aviation Security Culture campaign meant to restore public confidence in air travel and strengthen safety standards at airports nationwide. 

The initiative, backed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), is expected to position the country among nations proactively promoting a strong aviation safety and security culture, as threats and terrorist tactics within the global aviation landscape continue to grow more complex and sophisticated.

The campaign is designed to embed security awareness into the daily processes, procedures and practices at all six airports and their environs, making vigilance a routine part of the operations.

The government and its agency, the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), launched the campaign to help raise awareness and galvanise collective action.

“We must all work together, airport operators, regulators, security agencies, service providers, and the public to fortify our aviation system and ensure that security operations are robust, effective and aligned with international standards,” the Minister of Transport, Joseph Nikpe, said at the launch of the aviation security culture week in Accra yesterday (February 9).

“By doing so, we will contribute to the global fight against terrorism and ensure the safety and security of all who travel through our airports,” he added.

The initiative

The Aviation Security Culture Week marks a significant milestone in Ghana’s aviation industry as the first initiative of its kind in the country.

In 2019, ICAO declared that year as the Year of Security Culture, but the campaign was temporarily suspended following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Post-pandemic period, ICAO and several countries resumed their security culture programmes, recognising the urgent need to prioritise aviation security globally.

As a signatory to the Chicago Convention, Ghana could not afford to lag behind, a situation that informed the launch of the initiative.

On the theme: “Promoting a strong and dynamic security culture,” the event was attended by dignitaries such as the Director-General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Rev. Stephen Wilfred Arthur; the Managing Director of GACL, Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Eric Agyen-Frimpong, among others.

Safeguarding air travel

Commending the aviation security personnel across the country’s airports, Mr Nikpe stressed that their dedication and professionalism, together with the efforts of all stakeholders, had been central to safeguarding air travel.

“This is why the slogan for this week’s events, ‘See it, Say it, Secure it’, is so powerful. Every player in the aviation industry has a role to play, and it is only through collective effort that we can create a safe and secure environment for all,” he added.

Looking ahead, he stated that the government was committed to deploying advanced security technologies and equipment to strengthen safety standards while improving facilitation at the country’s airports.

Evolving landscape 

Mrs Opare said the aviation security landscape was constantly evolving as terrorist tactics now went beyond improvised weapons and explosives to include the use of advanced technologies.

She said that concealment methods such as camouflaging, disguising, dismantling and manipulating prohibited items were increasingly being employed to undermine airport security systems.

Mrs Opare said the vision of the GACL was to position Ghana as the preferred aviation hub and the leading airport business destination in West Africa.