First-ever female head of Airport Security Unit strives to safeguard Hong Kong’s airport
Hong Kong: Celebrating its 43rd anniversary, the Airport Security Unit (ASU) of the Hong Kong Police Force welcomed its first-ever female officer-in-charge, Chief Inspector Hung Yat Na, who has pledged to safeguard Hong Kong’s airport.
“I’m like a helmsman leading the direction of the ASU, making it a well-equipped and well-trained team to protect the airport,” Ms Hung told reporters in a recent interview, adding that she will carry forward the fine tradition of the ASU and move towards new heights together with her teammates. Established in 1977, the ASU is mainly responsible for public safety, counter-terrorism and disaster relief in the Hong Kong International Airport.
“We will, first, review and optimise our equipment to cope with the new counter-terrorism situation, second, improve the scale and methods of training and drills, and third, formulate the ASU’s future direction in line with the airport’s new development,” Ms Hung said, giving a clear outline of her work plan.
Ms Hung stressed that the airport is an important infrastructure for Hong Kong. As the head of the ASU, she will do her best and let the world know that the Hong Kong International Airport is very safe and that its facilities and services are first-class.
Before the outbreak of the COVID-19, the Hong Kong International Airport was one of the busiest airports in the world and has repeatedly been ranked the best airport worldwide. Passenger flow at the airport has greatly reduced during the epidemic, but that does not mean members of the ASU can slack off. They took round-theclock shifts as usual with each of them carrying equipment weighing about 20 kilograms, patrolling every corner of the airport.
“Since all the people are wearing masks, it becomes more difficult to identify suspicious people,” Ms Hung said, adding they will pay extra attention to observe people’s clothing and their belongings.
Talking about the recent cases of homemade explosives found in public areas in Hong Kong, which implied the budding of local terrorism, Ms Hung said the ASU attaches great importance to this.