Security at Yaoundé and Douala international airports reassures
Published: Tuesday, 10 October 2023 11:02
This observation was made during an inspection mission carried out by the Minister of Transport on September 04, 2023, at these two airports in preparation for the USAP-CMA audit that ICAO is organizing in Cameroon this October 2023.
Airport security under scrutiny
During the mission, the Minister and his delegation, which included the Director General of the Cameroon Civil Aviation Authority, the Director General of Cameroon Airports Company (ADC), the governors, and other administrative authorities of Yaoundé and Douala, assessed the CCAA's security supervision capacity, ensured that corrective actions were implemented, and mobilized the various stakeholders in the security chain of these airports, to guarantee the full success of the forthcoming audit.
At each stage and for both airports, the delegation was presented with the strong points and areas for improvement by Mrs. Paule Assoumou Koki, the CCAA's Director General. They toured the airport facilities and equipment and received recommendations on areas for improvement.
At these two airports, a great deal of progress has been made in terms of regulations, as all procedures have been corrected and the sectorial plans and programs have been developed for all entities. Regarding coordination, significant awareness has been raised among stakeholders and personnel have been trained. Security measures have been effectively implemented on the city side of the airport, in the airport (passenger, crew, and baggage screening) and there are strict and permanent access controls and patrols. Facilities such as Road Inspection Filtering Access Parks (PARIF), Screening Inspection Stations (PIF), gates and more have been upgraded. Also, staffing levels have been increased, a new security policy has been developed and there has been an increase in staff numbers and training.
At the end of each stage, a briefing was held in the presence of all those involved in the security chain. At both Yaoundé and Douala international airports, recommendations were made on several areas for improvement, including raising awareness of the security culture among all those working at airports, respecting the mark in front of Yaoundé-Nsimalen airport when dropping off passengers and better management of VIP lounges.
The Transport Minister took the opportunity to call on the different stakeholders to be more vigilant, and to continue to raise awareness among residents and users of these platforms in order to stay on course to achieve and even exceed the 80% compliance rate expected of States by the ICAO. According to the minister, "everything is in place to confirm that our two airports are ready for the ICAO USAP-CMA audit.”
The inspection at the Yaounde International Airport.
Therefore, everyone on airport platforms is expected to work relentlessly and better consider security measures. The last audit, it should be noted, was conducted in 2018.
Translated by Mireille Galabe
Assistant Research Officer
Public Relations Unit