Four staff members of the Directorate of Aviation Security Administration (DASA), under the Ministry of Defence, have travelled to the United Kingdom (UK) to attend the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) National Inspectors Course.
The course is being held from July 26 to August 6 and focuses on conducting oversight activities to comply with ICAO Annex 17 and the National Civil Aviation Security Programme (NCASP) standards. The course is designed to provide aviation security personnel with theoretical and practical knowledge of audits and inspections as part of a National Quality Control system. The participants who successfully complete this course will be prepared to plan, coordinate and conduct quality control measures utilising Annex 17 and ICAO methodology in accordance with approved programmes.
The UK Department for Transport is providing assistance to the DASA officials attending the course. Since 2012, the transport department has been assisting the Maldives to enhance the country’s aviation security. As such, it donated 10 explosive trace detectors in 2017 which were installed in Velana International Airport (VIA). It also provided training programmes to the staff of the VIA Aviation Security Command and advised on enhancing security at the airport.
Earlier this year, Minister of Defence Mariya Ahmed Didi met senior officials of the UK Department of Transport to establish a joint action plan to be implemented by the DASA and the transport department from 2023-2024.