VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta and the United States have signed an aviation security agreement aimed at strengthening protection on select international flights and countering terrorist threats to civil aviation.
The agreement authorises International In-Flight Security Officers (IIFSOs), commonly known as air marshals, to operate aboard commercial aircraft to protect passengers and crew from acts of unlawful interference.
The US Embassy in Malta said the agreement builds on Malta’s existing aviation security programmes and will provide access to the latest security methodologies and training concepts.
Home Affairs and Security Minister Glenn Bedingfield and US Ambassador to Malta Somers Farkas announced the agreement, describing it as a significant step in bilateral efforts to address terrorist threats.
Bedingfield said the agreement would enhance security on flights between Malta and the United States, stressing the importance of aviation to the island’s connectivity and economic prosperity.
“This agreement with the United States reflects our shared determination to strengthen security, resilience and cooperation in the face of an increasingly complex global environment,” he said.
Farkas said the agreement reflects a priority of the Trump administration and creates a framework for US security officers to operate between the two countries.
She said the initiative places Malta within an international community focused on countering threats to civil aviation through cooperation, information sharing and common security practices.
IIFSO programmes have expanded internationally, particularly across Europe, and are intended to provide an additional layer of security against terrorist threats to civil aviation.
The agreement comes as direct air links between Malta and the United States continue to develop. Delta Air Lines began operating non-stop flights between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Malta in June, with the service running three times a week until October.
– Photo Ipa Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
