The Government will invest an additional $13.3 million over five years to strengthen aviation security across the Pacific, funding new airport x-ray and scanning machines alongside technical and training support.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the investment aims to improve transport security, help Pacific states meet international aviation standards, and address trans-national crime and other security risks. The work builds on an existing airport security equipment programme in the region.

Delivery will be led by the Civil Aviation Authority in cooperation with aviation regulators and airport authorities in Niue, Kiribati, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Solomon Islands, Nauru, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea, Associate Transport Minister James Meager said.

The announcement does not specify which airports will receive the upgrades, when installation will begin, or the exact equipment mix at each site. The Government described the package as “additional” funding but did not outline how it will be phased across the five-year period.