ICAO conducts first security audit of Shah Amanat airport, running until 4 November

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is auditing the security arrangements of Chattogram's Shah Amanat International Airport for the first time, to verify its security system.

A four-member ICAO delegation arrived in Chattogram on 1 November on Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG-615. Their audit activities will continue until 4 November. The audit is being conducted under ICAO's Universal Security Audit Programme Continuous Monitoring Approach (USAP-CMA). The delegation earlier also inspected Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

During the audit, the ICAO delegation will closely examine the airport's security services, the capability of its equipment, the activities of the staff concerned and the implementation of international security protocols.

The country's second-busiest airport began its journey as an international airport in 2001. Although it has handled passengers and operated flights for a long time, this is the first time ICAO is directly reviewing the airport's security arrangements. According to the airport authorities, an average of 1.5 to 1.6 million passengers travel through Shah Amanat International Airport on domestic and international routes each year.

Ahead of the ICAO audit, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) installed new equipment to increase the airport's security capability. To raise security capability to international standards, nine new scanners, six explosive trace detection systems (ETDS) and 81 new CCTV cameras have been added.

In addition, the airport authorities have achieved the capability to check a fixed portion of passengers' checked-in luggage on a random basis. Under international security standards, at least five percent of luggage must be checked randomly. An arrangement to inspect the underside of vehicles has also been introduced.

Shah Amanat International Airport director Group Captain Mohammad Nur Hossain said, “Under ICAO rules, such audits are conducted in any country from time to time. Our audit is also part of regular activities.” He added, “We have to check at least five percent of luggage on a random basis so that any explosive can be detected. We have achieved that capability too. We have also arranged inspection of the underside of vehicles. If all these measures work together, the airport's security will be stronger than before.”

Alongside passenger transport, various foreign airlines are also showing interest in operating flights from Chattogram. Considering these matters, the authorities are planning to expand the airport's facilities; in particular, they are hopeful about restarting cargo flights and the possibility of operating new international flights.

Group Captain Mohammad Nur Hossain said, “If businesspeople take stronger initiatives in the future, cargo flights may restart from here. Besides, a few more international airlines may operate flights from Chattogram. We are ready to welcome these activities.”

The airport authorities see this audit as important for ensuring aviation safety and maintaining alignment with international standards. They hope this evaluation of the security system will also play an important role in expanding international flights and cargo operations in the future.