A team of 3 officers from MITIE Security's specialist aviation and transportation division were assigned to provide a dedicated 24-hour guarding service to protect and secure the Imperial flight during its three-day stop over at London Heathrow Airport.
This short-term agreement builds upon a 12-year relationship between Japanese Flag Carrier JAL and MITIE which sees the company providing them with aircraft guarding and patrol services, passenger profiling and cargo guarding services at its UK hub.
A spokesperson for Japan Airlines commented, "The security of the Imperial flight during this official visit was a critical issue and we needed to ensure that there was no potential for unauthorised access to the aircraft whilst it was on the ground. Over the past 12 years we have worked closely with the team at MITIE and their skills and flexibility made them an ideal partner for this high profile visit."
Tony Medhurst, Managing Director of MITIE's aviation security business, added, "I am pleased that we were able to support Japan Airlines with this project and that it further strengthens our long term relationship with their business. The guarding of aircraft on the ground is a critical issue for all carriers."