St. Lucia, Barbados Enhance Port Security

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of the U.S. is helping St. Lucia and Barbados get security up to international standards for the safety of travelers. St. Lucia will soon induct the 24 security personnel employed at the island's air and seaports once they complete the Essential Instructor Skills Training and Basic Security Training Courses. The training courses, conducted by the TSA, have been designed to strengthen the aviation security standards at the island nation's airports. The courses started after a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the TSA and the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, St. Lucia. With the number of flights to St. Lucia from the U.S. and elsewhere expected to rise in the coming months, it is in the interest of the U.S. to share best practices and lessons learned on aviation standards, David Michalouis of TSA was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, Barbados too has plans of upgrading security at its Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA). The Barbados government has signed a consultancy agreement with the Inter-American Development Bank under which the agency will help the country in upgrading the technical training as well as security systems at the GAIA. The country recently trained 92 security officers, facilitated by Aviation Security Trainer with G4S United Kingdom, Angela Christie.