Security is a key issue at every airport in the world. The fact that passengers can travel between regions and countries means we must all be vigilant for anything untoward.
And a warning came from the highest place in the country recently when the Prime Minister Gordon Brown questioned the changes that have been made in the security plans for Edinburgh Airport.
The airport had a dedicated security chief but the role that person took up before has now been altered. While reports have not indicated the nature of the alterations it would appear local MPs and indeed the Prime Minister himself have wondered whether the move was the right one to make.
Apparently there was a role titled the Head of Security – and it is this role which has now disappeared. But surely it would be foolhardy to assume that just because a job role has been abolished, this automatically puts the airport and its passengers at more risk?
BAA, who owns Edinburgh Airport, is very firm about the changes. It says that they are perfectly in order and a similar staffing change had also been put into play at Glasgow Airport. There is some confusion over whether the role has actually been completely got rid of however, since BAA says it hasn’t. It is simply a result of two teams at the airport being combined into one.
The MPs were simply seeking the Prime Minister’s reassurance that the situation was in hand and that security was as strong as ever at the airport. And his response seemed to indicate this was the case. He trusted the airport to make the right decisions and to ensure that the passengers were safe at all times.
However it does raise the question of how security is handled. Surely in order to keep the highest level of security the teams do have to be moved around and changed from time to time? The body of staff at Edinburgh Airport who deal with security issues must be in the best place at the best time. And this would surely mean changes in order to keep the whole security team as streamlined and efficient as possible. This would seem to be the change that has occurred.
It did make headlines though, due to it being mentioned in the House of Commons. But if the Prime Minister is happy then perhaps we should be too.