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Aviation History
1988
1988 - 1360.PDF
Athens Airport securing a better reputation A spate of terrorist incidents connected with Athens Airport three years ago brought accusations of lax security from both lata and the US Government, and cost the Greek tourist industry millions of Dollars in lost bookings. As the 1988 peak summer season approaches, John Bailey visits Athens Airport to see the improvements in security which have now gained lata approval. Last month's hijacking of a Kuwait Airways Boeing 747 flight from ' Bangkok to Kuwait once again forced the topic of airport security on to the front pages of the world's press. While there was little evidence available at the time of writing as to how the Arab hijackers smuggled their weapons on board the aircraft, an Inter national Air Transport Association (lata) security delegation has visited Bangkok to review procedures, and is preparing a report for presentation to the Thai authorities. One airport which has undergone intense scrutiny by lata in recent years is Athens, which has suffered more than its fair share of terrorist incidents, primarily due to its proximity to the political powderkeg of the Middle East, but also due to an historically lax security regime. Among the major inci dents involving Athens in 1985 alone (its worst year) were a bazooka shell fired at a Royal Jordanian Airlines Boeing 727 on the apron; the hijack of a TWA Boeing 727 to Beirut; and the hijack of an Egyptair Boeing 737, which culminated in a massacre of passengers and hijackers at Malta's Luqa Airport. Although there is no conclusive evidence that the weapons for either of the hijacks were smuggled on board the aircraft at Athens (both aircraft had also landed at Cairo), a number of airlines and inter national organisations including lata and the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (Ifalpa) expressed serious concern about security at Athens. Following the TWA hijack in June 1985, Pan American suspended its services to Athens, and an lata team conducted a major security review. President Reagan also issued a "travel advisory" discouraging US tourists from visiting Greece—an action which cost the Greek tourist industry an estimated $500 million in lost revenue. Top The hijack of this Egyptair Boeing 737 while on a flight from Athens was the worst of three incidents during 1985. There is no firm evidence that weapons were smuggled on board at Athens lata reviews in both 1980 and 1981 had criticised lax screening procedures, identity checks, and the inadequacy of the perimeter fencing, which did not fully enclose the airfield. In early 1985 the Greek Govern ment had also signalled its intention to stop the airlines conducting their own secondary screening procedures, but retracted in the face of protests from the airlines and the threat of strike action by pilots if the security situation did not improve. In addition, lata security director Rodney Wallis went on record at the time as saying that Athens was "the one airport which stands out on its own" in failing to react responsibly to the security recommendations made by lata. However, the outcry provoked by the TWA incident forced a major rethink about security, and the Greek authorities invited lata to prepare a report in June 1985, shortly after the hijack ended. The lata tearr prepared a list of recommendations, an< these were acted on by the Greeks, who thei received lata clearance and the blessing c 26 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 21 May I
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