Fiji Airports’ security practices are being reviewed as part of an assessment by a team of international aviation experts that aims to align its processes with global best practices.
A first for Fiji, the four-day assessment by the Airports Council International (ACI) aims to identify security gaps, and recommend improvements.
Starting this week, the ACI APEX (Airport Excellence) in Security review brings together five aviation security specialists from South Korea, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, and Tahiti. Their goal is to assess Fiji Airports’ security systems across a range of areas, from surveillance and risk assessments to incident response and airport layout.
Fiji Airports CEO Mesake Nawari highlighted the importance of the review, particularly in the context of increased air travel following the global COVID-19 pandemic.
“Fiji Airports is quite fortunate to have been considered for this critical review considering the role we play in aviation in Fiji and our Blue Pacific region,” Nawari said. “Recommendations from this important exercise will allow us to improve and enhance standard practices here at the airport and ensure the safety of our customers.”
The review focuses on a broad spectrum of security measures, including airport security policies, patrol procedures, risk assessments, crisis management, and infrastructure such as runways, taxiways, and terminal layouts.
Nawari also said that the insights gained from the APEX review would feed directly into Fiji Airports’ 2025–2034 Strategic Plan, particularly under the objective of “Safety, Security & Compliance” which will help the airport in efforts to become a world-class aviation hub in the Blue Pacific region.
Launched in 2017, APEX in Security is a peer review program designed to help airports strengthen their security performance and meet ICAO regulations. Since its inception, the program has conducted over 25 reviews across the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions.
