Civil Aviation Experts Exploring Ways to Manage Air Traffic Growth

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) projects that air traffic will double by 2030. Aviation authorities globally have been exploring ways to manage air traffic growth and additional passenger movement through airports and, to this end, have become more reliant on technology.

Consequent on the constantly changing threats to aviation security, industry stakeholders deem it imperative to be proactive rather than reactive. It is against this background that aviation security experts across the Caribbean supported the inaugural regional Cybersecurity in Aviation workshop.

This, according to Director of Planning, Research and Evaluation at the Ministry of Transport and Mining, George Nicholson, who addressed the workshop’s opening ceremony held at the MBJ Airports Limited’s training facility on Tuesday (March 20) He said that the ever-changing nature of civil aviation threats has become increasingly evident as the technology across the world advances.

“A growing concern from aviation security experts within Latin America and the Caribbean is the threat of cyberterrorism and other cyber-related crimes, and our ability to adequately respond to critical incidents of this nature,” Mr. Nicholson noted.

At the International Civil Aviation Organization Aviation Security and Facilitation Regional Group 5th Meeting, which was held in Lima, Peru, June 2015, it was the Jamaican contingent that raised the concern and presented the working paper on cybersecurity threat.

Member states agreed that as part of the regional strategic plan, cybersecurity awareness training for the region should be developed.

According to Mr. Nicholson, the workshop was developed to enable participants to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills that will assist them in meeting the ICAO recommendations on the protection of critical aviation information systems against cyber incidents.

Seventeen representatives from across the Caribbean, Central America and the United States of America are participating in the four-day workshop, from March 20 to 23.

It is being hosted by the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority in association with the Organization of American State Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (OAS CICTE) and MBJ Airports Ltd.