One Year After Hijacking, Airport Security Overhauled

It has been one year since the shocking Tropic Air hijacking that exposed major gaps in security at municipal airports across Belize. Last night, we told you about the victims who lived through that terrifying ordeal. Tonight, we turn to what has changed since then and whether the system is any safer today. Shane Williams has this story.

 

Shane Williams Reporting…

One year after the Tropic Air hijacking, the focus has shifted from fear to reform, and at the center of that transformation is a new approach to airport security led by Vinay Bhojwani, General Manager at Belize Airports Authority.

 

Vinay Bhojwani, General Manager, Belize Airports Authority

“We’ve definitely made a lot more improvements in terms of security. I know that before there was a question whether the security implementation was up to par and met standards. However, this time around we made sure that we went through the proper channels, the proper avenues to engage proper security that are qualified to takeover at all of our aerodromes. So you could expect to see a lot more security presence. Not only personnel too, because we also have over a hundred cameras that are being set up for surveillance as well, which offers full safety and security across our aerodromes.”

 

That overhaul is no longer just talk; it’s happening. As of this week, airport security across the country is now in new hands. Security Alliance, the same firm trusted to protect the U.S. Embassy, has officially taken over security at Belize’s municipal airports. It’s a major shift, and a historic one, marking the first time a fully vetted, experienced security company is responsible for keeping domestic air travel safe.

 

Narda Garcia, CEO, Ministry of Civil Aviation (File: Nov. 20th, 2025)

“They have gone through the process. They tendered, they advertised, and they tendered out. And I think the board has arrived at a decision of contracting a company that has all, has filled all the requirements that are, that were put out there.”

 

But those wide‑ranging changes didn’t come overnight, they follow months of uncertainty and temporary fixes. In the immediate aftermath of the hijacking, the Belize Police Department was deployed to secure aerodromes across the country, placing armed officers at airstrips as authorities scrambled to stabilize a shaken system.

 

Nigel Carter, Director of Civil Aviation (File: April 30th, 2025)

“The Government of Belize deployed police officers to all aerodromes. The CEO in the ministry consulted with the domestic airlines and we asked or required them to put in place basic security measures, passenger screening, bag screening and so forth.”

 

That intervention followed mounting public concern, not just about safety, but about how airport security was being managed in the first place. In the weeks after the hijacking, controversy erupted over the awarding of security contracts to I-Security and Four Diamond Security, two firms with no prior airport security experience. The revelation that those contracts had been approved months before the hijacking raised serious questions about oversight and transparency.

 

Thea Garcia-Ramirez, Former General Manager, Belize Airports Authority (File: May 28, 2025)

“I was sick. So when it came to me I advised that maybe it would be better for legal counsel to look over the contract, which would be basic and standard procedure. I am unaware if that was done, but when I came back those contracts were signed and on my table. I cannot speak to the process again.”

 

Those concerns only deepened when viewed against the backdrop of what happened on that day. Holy Thursday 2025, a day that rattled the nation and exposed glaring security lapses at municipal airstrips across Belize. At the time, screening was minimal, oversight inconsistent and a hijacker was able to board a domestic flight undetected. Today, Bhojwani says the mission is clear: ensure that such a breach never happens again.

 

Vinay Bhojwani

“I know it was definitely a turn of events. No one saw it coming. However, I knew that in this position I was more than capable enough to be able to make that change. So something like that doesn’t happen again. And that was, that has been my number one priority since entering into the position. So I do take onus on that like I’m doing everything I could to ensure that nothing like that ever happens again. Coming up on the one year anniversary, of course it’ll still be at the forefront of a lot of people’s minds. Especially after that time, I know everyone was a bit timid when it comes to flying and different things like that. However, my goal is to change a narrative. We’re making sure that there’s a security presence there to help you feel safe and they’re actually very good at communicating with people as well.”

 

One year later, the scars of the Tropic Air hijacking remain, but so too does a renewed commitment to safer skies and a system now under far tighter watch. Shane Williams for News Five.

 

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.