Security at the Ogle Aerodrome in the city has been markedly boosted following last week Wednesday's hijacking of a Trans Guyana Airways (TGA) aircraft after its departure from the border town of Lethem for the city.

Passengers travelling to all destinations from the city airport are required to subject themselves and their personal effects to scrutiny at check-in.

No guns, knives or tape will be allowed on any passenger's person, including VIPs who were once exempted, while travelling on domestic flights. Four gunmen had hijacked the plane and forced it to fly to Brazil. The pilot was then allowed to fly the plane back to Guyana with the remaining passengers. No one was hurt.

Speaking with reporters at the Ogle Aerodrome on Tuesday, TGA Operations Director, Captain Roy Jainandan, emphasized that the measures were put in place to safeguard passengers who utilised the service.

The rigid application of security measures by rural constables employed by the company, according to Captain Jainandan, will also see persons having to undergo further checks with the use of walk-through metal detectors, and, if necessary, hand scanners.

TGA, he said, had since last week's incident, spent some $300,000 in acquiring hand scanners for its agents to use at interior locations. However, he acknowledged that these checks would need to be done in collaboration with law enforcement officials, who have the authority to detain persons found with illegal articles.

Other measures instituted to guarantee the security of travellers, Jainandan said, included disallowing hand luggage, profiling of passengers by security officials and the need for foreign nationals to show travel documents.

However, he was of the view that the relevant agencies needed to act together with TGA to achieve the necessary levels of security, especially at interior locations that are close to the country's borders.

Airport security, according to Jainandan, was a costly and specialised undertaking which was more likely to be successful if it was done through the Civil Aviation Department and the governmental agencies which had the experience and training to undertake such. TGA, he added, was prepared to bear its share of the costs of achieving secure levels of passenger safety.

He also cautioned that security in the interior locations like Lethem should not centre on the aviation sector alone, but should include cross-border movement which would become even more urgent with the increase in road travel once the Takutu bridge was complete.

The captain noted that there were lonely stretches along the road and stressed the need for law enforcement authorities to remain vigilant.