CIVILIAN safety at local airports has been raised as a concern, following the Government’s announcement on Monday that it has approved transit by United States military aircraft in the coming weeks.

Former foreign affairs minister Dr Amery Browne yesterday questioned whether Piarco International Airport and ANR Robinson International Airport in Tobago have been upgraded to handle military contingencies.

Browne stated on Facebook that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar “should be informed that our nation’s airports are designed and staffed and secured for civilian use, not for use as air bases for military aircraft of various types for an unspecified duration”.