Poor security at Nassau International Airport is not getting any better and needs to be significantly improved, according to U.S. Ambassador J. Richard Blankenship. He said it is “painfully obvious” that there is no real commitment to security at NIA, and the same problems arise every time discussions are held.
He has made several attempts to reach Minister of Aviation and Transport Glennys Hanna-Martin to discuss security, but has not received a response, the Ambassador told The Guardian Thursday at the U.S. Embassy on Queen Street.
The U.S. citizens who work at the airport, including U.S. Immigration and Agricultural Services are his responsibility and he must ensure their safety. He said that getting no response from the Bahamas Government is becoming a bit “annoying.”
“There are a number of issues that we have with the airport and the way it has been operating and quite honestly, we are not getting the response, from either the Airport Authority nor the Minister that we would like to see,” he said, and “the relationship between the manager of the Airport Authority, Mr. Idris Reid, and U.S. agencies that work at the airport is not what we would like for it to be.”
“There is what we perceive as an institutional problem with maintaining security. We have noted time and time again that after the airline transport safety group visits, their improvements are made, but shortly following this, the same security problems arise again,” he said.
Ambassador Blankenship said that if the necessary security measures are not put in place, there is the possibility that NIA will become a “focused” airport. “This means that they are consistently demonstrating inadequate safety and security measures which have international complications,” he said, also adding that he has received “consistent” complaints from U.S. visitors to The Bahamas when it comes to the condition of the NIA.
“My response to the tourists is that we are working with The Bahamas to improve the security and conditions at the airport, but that ultimately it is the responsibility of The Bahamas to upgrade their airport. It is not something that the United States is responsible for,” he said.
Ambassador Blankenship did say, however, that he would like to see a significant improvement in the airport’s security and the establishment of a security programme that can be followed, a programme where authorities can determine whether or not those in charge of security are doing their job.
“It’s the same problems; access to the tarmac, airplanes and secure areas. This does not even address the quality of work conditions that I receive complaints about, such as mildewed and dusty ceiling tiles, the drainage system backing up, the sprinkler system and alarm tests not being conducted and the cleaning crew doing inadequate jobs,” he said.
The U.S. Ambassador said there are many within the state department and other agencies who have expressed concern about security at NIA. He said discussions are held on an “on-going” basis, and these individuals are not looking for suggestions, but improvements.
Ambassador Blankenship read off several issues affecting NIA regarding security including: responses to alarms when doors are left open; the propping open of doors into the terminal; no enforcement of the baggage handlers’ uniform policy; not being able to determine the backgrounds of those who supposedly have access to the sterile areas of the airport after going through U.S. inspections; and vandalism and theft of airport employee vehicles.
The U.S. Ambassador also said The Bahamas has to understand that preclearance centres are established as a matter of convenience to the government and it is very expensive for the U.S. to operate and maintain them. He said there are only three in the world and one of them is in the Caribbean, which happens to be The Bahamas.
“You can understand the dismay of many in Washington when they see the lack of security at an airport where preclearance activities are taking place. Each and every airport that airplanes departing Nassau arrive at in the United States, have customs facilities already and so by preclearing people here, we are doing the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, a favor,” he said.
Even though the U.S. Ambassador feels that NIA is not up to scratch with its security, he said that he would not encourage American aircraft or citizens to avoid The Bahamas.
“That is a decision that each airline would have to make for itself,” he said, but that the U.S. needs a commitment to security. “We also need a commitment to run the airport in a fashion that is mindful and recognize that security is on-going,” he said.
Meanwhile, though The Bahamas is considered a soft target for terrorism and the terrorist threat warning is at an all-time high, Ambassador Blankenship said there has not been a specific threat against Nassau International Airport that he is aware of.
“In the United States, we have a rule that if one knows, all must know, therefore if I have specific information relating to the safety of travel or a specific threat against Nassau International Airport, everybody must know,” he said.
Neither the Minister of Aviation and Transport nor Mr. Reid could be contacted for comment.
By Tamara McKenzie, The Nassau Guardian