May_2021 - 30

INTERNATIONAL

How Africa's Handlers are
Mitigating Security Risks
Effective training plays a key role in reducing security threats
and related consequences.
By Mario Pierobon

The issue of
security is taken
very seriously by all
stakeholders in the
airport environment,
with numerous
forums addressing
the matter at different
levels.
Photo courtesy of Swissport

A

frica is a large and diverse continent and
the security challenges posed in any
given country are generally unique to that
country and often even to a single city.
There are patterns, however, which are common to
the ground handling industry that can be addressed
by considering security threats, the implications of
the threats, the role of training as a security measure
and the effects of COVID-19 on security management
in Africa.
According to officials at UAS International Trip
Support, security incidents for aviation operations in
Africa are limited, as over the past years there have
been few reported cases and those incidents were concentrated in specific areas that had larger, underlying
security issues.
" Though risk levels differ from country to country,
potential threats to operational security can broadly
be connected to health risks, political and economic

30 GROUND SUPPORT WORLDWIDE

MAY 2021

instability, lack of investment and resources and corruption, " say officials of the Africa team at UAS, which
has headquarters in Johannesburg, regional offices in
Lagos and Nairobi and station managers on the ground
at 11 locations on the African continent.
" Health risks such as COVID-19 and Ebola do not
just revolve around the possibility of infection but
include entry and exit restrictions and protocols that
may change suddenly and disrupt a mission unexpectedly, thereby potentially putting crew, passengers
and cargo at risk. "

Security Threats
Political and economic instability represent the biggest
security threats to aviation operations in Africa.
" One must also consider the condition and state of
the aviation infrastructure at the business of operation, " says Heinrich Maritz, aviation security manager
at Airlink airline.
In the context of unstable political and socio-economic conditions Menzies is constantly monitoring
these situations across individual nations and the
continent as a whole.
" The aim is to ensure that our plans to mitigate
the effects of these events are as robust as possible.
However, more recently we have been presented with
new and unexpected obstacles to overcome due to the
global pandemic, as several African countries have
experienced high infection rates and subsequent
restrictions, " says Wilma Kruger, vice president of
security management systems at Menzies Aviation.
Protests and armed clashes between pro- and
anti-government factions throughout the continent
can often pose serious and unpredictable risks to
travelers, say UAS officials.
" Instabilities created in conflict zones and troubled spots in Africa have led the emergence of local
militia and armed groups constantly seeking soft and
profitable targets. Additionally, insurgent groups have
made attempts at attacking airports and aircraft in
the past but have never succeeded, " UAS Africa team
representatives say.
May_2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May_2021
