Starting tomorrow, overseas air travellers will be required to pay a $1,500 security fee; this is in addition to the current departure tax of $2,500.

With an average of 190,000 departures every year, the revenues from the combined fees of $4000 will work out to $760 million.

The new measure has been advertised in the media, but efforts to contact officials at the airport or Commissioner General Kurshid Sattaur on the issue proved futile. However, informed sources said the revenue from the security fee will among other things pay for the additional surveillance schemes being set up at the airport including scanners for the Executive and VIP lounges.

It will also be used to offset the operational costs of the additional security desks established at the airport, security systems including the recently announced decision to install cameras at strategic points, which will be monitored by several sector heads including those in the security forces.

The source added that some of the money will go towards training and meeting costs for employing additional personnel required to undertake the increased workload.

Ever since the September 11, 2001 attacks, the United States has been making demands in relation to security and safety at airports and sea ports. The most recent was the use of air marshals on most domestic and international flights as a means to deter terrorist attacks on aircraft.

Several Caribbean countries have been forced to boost security at their airports and on their airline-servicing terminals in the US. Airlines flying from Guyana are yet to be officially requested to have air marshals stationed on their flights to the US.

The advertisement in the local media said the fee is designed to meet increases in security staffing requirements, new demands with respect to training and testing and sky-rocketing insurance costs.

"The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) of the UN and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of the United States Department of Homeland Security regularly conducts airport security audits at international airports," the notice further said.