Oman Air Training Reaffirms Its Commitment To Passenger Safety

Oman Air’s absolute commitment to passenger safety has received another boost with the provision of additional refresher training for key staff.

Working in partnership with Zurich-based aviation security specialists Checkport Switzerland, Oman Air’s Security Department has delivered “Security Aircraft Search” training for 36 personnel drawn from across the airline’s international network. Participants will then cascade the relevant techniques and information to other operational crew.

The training involved theoretical and practical syllabuses which combined classroom-based sessions and practical training conducted onboard Oman Air’s aircraft. It aimed to provide Oman Air’s security personnel with the knowledge and skills they need to conduct fast and efficient aircraft searches in line with international standards.

The classroom-based sessions covered a range of issues which have a direct impact on the roles of airline security experts.  These included IEDs (improvised explosive devices) on board commercial airliners, the challenges posed in dealing with explosive materials, search procedures, communications between search teams and their leaders, instant emergency response, professional documentation and quality control measures.

The on-site exercise took place at Muscat International Airport. Prior to search exercises being carried out, it included group familiarisation of the entirety of aircraft interiors, reminders of the importance of instant emergency response, leadership and the allocation of individual role. The results of the searches were then analysed during a post-exercise briefing, before a summary of the course content was provided to delegates. 

Commenting on the course, Lt. Col. Ali Bin Abdulla Al Harthy, Vice President Group Security at Oman Air said: 

“Oman Air is in agreement with Checkport for security training on a single training on annual basis depending on Oman Air’s request. The field of the training varies in accordance to Oman Air’s requirement within the “Aviation Security” discipline. We had previously acquired two sessions in “Document Verification” training in Nov 2013. We intend to acquire further trainings for our team on various aspects of security throughout this venture with Checkport.  

“There are similar security trainings conducted for the team along with various stakeholders such as OAMC, PACA and ROP in close coordination with the Royal Office, Emirates, IATA and Le Boutillier Group.”

Feedback from delegates was extremely positive and Oman Air’s Security Department declared itself confident that the training will make a valuable contribution to safeguarding passengers and aircraft. Whilst the measures detailed during the training are already in place in stations throughout Oman Air’s network, the airline is committed to ensuring that policies and procedures relating to safety remain current and are regularly updated.