---
title: "Panama Regains Global Confidence in Air Security While Keeping Extra Checks for Four Nationalities"
date: 2026-04-14
author: ""
url: https://panamadaily.news/panama-air-security-tocumen-screening/
categories:
  - "Economy"
  - "News"
tags:
  - "air travel"
  - "aviation security"
  - "ICAO"
  - "One Stop Security"
  - "Panama"
  - "Tocumen Airport"
---

# Panama Regains Global Confidence in Air Security While Keeping Extra Checks for Four Nationalities

## What Happened

Panama has moved out of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s category of “significant concern” in air security, marking a major step for the country’s aviation system and its role as a regional hub.

Even with that progress, travelers from Venezuela, Haiti, Nicaragua and Cuba will continue to face a second screening at Tocumen International Airport under Panama’s current security model.

## How the Screening System Works

Rafael Bárcenas, director of the Civil Aviation Authority, said those four nationalities have not yet been validated within Panama’s security framework, which is why they remain subject to additional checks on arrival. The process is part of the One Stop Security model, designed to speed up transit for validated passengers while preserving tighter controls where authorities see a need.

For passengers affected by the extra screening, the inspection takes place in a separate room after landing and adds about three to four minutes per traveler. That can make connection times tighter, especially in an airport where most passengers are in transit to another destination.

## Why Tocumen Is Prioritizing Speed and Security

Antonio Ruiz Blanco, general manager of Tocumen International Airport, said the challenge has been to keep the airport moving without weakening security. He noted that 74% of Tocumen’s passengers are connecting travelers, making operational flow essential to the airport’s competitiveness.

The airport has continued to grow even while applying the selective screening system. According to Tocumen’s leadership, the model was introduced without disrupting operations and has supported continued expansion.

## What Panama’s Removal Means

Panama’s exit from the ICAO concern list ends more than a decade of observations tied to air safety standards. The change follows notification in April 2026 that the country had met the required international benchmarks.

The decision restores normal conditions for most travelers and removes broad restrictions that had affected the country’s aviation image abroad. It also strengthens Tocumen’s position as one of the region’s main connection points, an important development for tourism, business travel and cargo-linked connectivity.

## The Outlook for Tocumen

Tocumen is still operating under a model that separates general confidence in Panama’s aviation system from targeted screening of passengers from countries that have not been validated under the same process. Authorities say that approach allows the airport to maintain security while preserving efficiency.

The airport is now growing at close to 9% a year and is projected to surpass 22 million passengers this year. The long-term goal remains 30 million passengers by 2030, a target that depends on keeping connections smooth while sustaining the new security standards.

For Panama, the shift reflects both a regulatory milestone and a practical test: proving that a busy international hub can tighten security, protect transit flow and remain attractive to airlines and passengers at the same time.