MIA finally at par with international airports after passing ICAO test

MANILA, Philippines – The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has finally considered the Manila International Airport (MIA) at par with all airports in the world after it complied with international standards and hurdled the required security measures.

“The ICAO officials were impressed with the consistent high standard screening procedures of persons and luggage at various screening points,” said Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Alfonso Cusi.

Cusi said that ICAO representatives Ken Robinson and Graham Lockwood remarked that “the pat down process was not only efficient but also non-intrusive.”

He assured ICAO officials that the MIAA would continue to sustain its security grip of the premier airport, consistent with international standards set by the world body.

“The MIAA is exerting all efforts geared towards further improving not only the security process, but also taking care of the sensitivity of passengers not to be unduly bothered by body frisking, which annoys many air travelers,” he said.

Robinson and Lockwood were in the country incognito last March 13 to oversee airport security procedures, so that MIAA personnel would be able to execute their assigned task unaware that they were being watched.

The ICAO’s agent left the country after two weeks and submitted a report praising the MIAA’s performance.

The Bangkok-based duo said that they were satisfied that the personnel complied fully with the mandate of ICAO Annex 17 Standards and Recommended Practices.

The MIAA also underwent regular inspections by ICAO personnel without advance notice, the same practice that they apply in all ICAO member countries, to assure that the level of safety of passengers and aircraft remain up to world standards.

Erring countries are immediately notified of violations and those unable to cope with a prescribed regulation find themselves downgraded to a lower category.

Angel Atutubo, general manager for Security and Emergency Services, wrote Robinson, a senior adviser and coordinator of the Civil Aviation Security Program (CASP) in Asia Pacific, and welcomed their findings.

Cusi stressed that the MIAA would continue to sustain ICAO standards for public safety.