Ratings of OECS airports downgraded, security breaches by SKN leader might be the reason

Washington based federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has downgraded the security and safety ratings of airports of Eastern Caribbean nations. Several security breaches done by a minister of St Kitts and Nevis seems to be playing a significant role in this regard.

In a recent statement by the FAA, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States(OECS) does not comply with the safety standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which is why it has been lowered to the rating of category two. Now, carriers belonging to these OECS nations can no longer initiate new services.

The Category 2 IASA ratings suggest that the airports are equipped with minimum global criteria, or that civil aviation professionals lack in one or more areas, including technical expertise, trained personnel and resolution of safety concerns.

Besides this, OECS’s carriers can sustain current services to the United States; however, they will not be allowed to establish new service to the United States.

The category 2 rating covers Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

It was proclaimed that ranking of St Kitts and Nevis' Robert L. Bradshaw dropped because of infringement of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) rules and regulations.

The decision was taken considering the recent visit of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) after this agency of United States Department of Homeland Security toured St Kitts and Nevis and examined Nevis' Vance Amory International Airport at New Castle and St Kitts' Robert L Bradshaw International Airport at Golden Rock in August 2019.

In April 2019, a major breach of airport security was done by Ian Patches Liburd, Minister of Public Infrastructure, Post, Urban Development, Transport and Energy St Kitts and Nevis. Liburd tried to enter the airport premises without being a passenger at that time

Federal Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Ian Patches Liburd has breached the security of R.L Bradshaw international airport St Kitts, several times. The leader has been recognised for misbehaving with security officials and denying to get inspected by airport security personnel for unknown reasons.

It is considered that continuous breaches at the international gateway can be a severe threat to the people visiting from across the globe.

The reasons for security breaches by Ian Patches Liburd are still unknown, but sources reveal that the leader was trying to bring in some prohibited objects.

However, Liburd had denied such allegations, but a video of security camera surfaced online revealed otherwise. The government of St Kitts and Nevis left the incident unchecked and named it a rumour, while security officials themselves confirmed the breaches of the Ian Patches Liburd a number of times.