Opinion: interaction between states needs strengthening to combat air terrorism

The threat of air terrorism is increasing in the world, and there were quite a lot of such examples in 2022 last year. In his talk with Alfa Radio, Aleksei Avdonin, an analyst at the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies, explained that the air transportation industry is currently experiencing a serious problem.

On January 22nd of last year, a Boeing 738 of the Irish Ryanair airline, en route from Poland to Athens, gave an alarm in the air about a bomb on board. The plane then landed safely at Athens International Airport, passengers and crew members were evacuated. The information about the bomb turned out to be false, and – as stressed by the radio programme presenter Vadim Shepet – the situation was actually similar to the one that had happened with an emergency landing of a Ryanair plane in Minsk in 2021. However, the reaction of the world community to the virtually one and the same actions of the Greek and Belarusian authorities was completely different.

The expert commented, noting that the problem of air terrorism will continue growing in the future. Mr. Avdonin believes it is necessary to consolidate efforts around the world to solve it.

“There are [international] security protocols in force, which the Belarusian side also observed during that incident (in May 2021, a Ryanair plane flying from Athens to Vilnius made an emergency landing in Minsk due to a signal about a bomb on board; the information about the bomb was later not confirmed), and all other countries also comply with this protocol. However, in fact, the whole global industry [of air transportation] has faced completely new challenges. While travelling by plane as part of business or holiday trips, we are not immune against any signal that would force the plane to land in the nearest airport. All our plans could be thwarted as a result, and this would definitely bring nothing good for any party. Indeed, joint international actions [within the framework of countering air terrorism] should be developed, as the Belarusian side has always said: it is no need to step into confrontation, but it is necessary to strengthen co-operation to combat air terrorism,” Mr. Avdonin stressed.