Panama’s primary international airport will soon enforce stricter security protocols for connecting passengers arriving from certain countries. The Tocumen International Airport administration is finalizing a contract for specialized screening services to conduct secondary inspections on transit travelers from airports not validated by Panamanian authorities. This move aims to address long-standing aviation security concerns and comply with international standards before these passengers mix with others in the terminal.
The decision stems directly from recommendations made by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) following a critical audit over a decade ago. Airport officials confirmed the new measures this week, outlining a targeted approach to close potential security gaps. The specialized service is expected to begin operations in the coming months as the airport negotiates further security validations with other nations.
Authorities emphasize the procedure is a cornerstone of modern aviation safety. “The measure will apply to all transfer passengers arriving in the country through Tocumen from non-validated countries, regardless of their final destination, as part of a comprehensive security approach,” stated the Vice Presidency of Airport Protection and Security at Tocumen International Airport. [Translated from Spanish]
This policy expansion will directly impact travel patterns for a segment of the millions of passengers who transit through the Central American hub annually. It represents a significant operational shift for the aeropuerto internacional, which functions as a critical connector for the Americas.
Addressing a Legacy of Security Concerns
A 2012 ICAO audit originally exposed critical weaknesses in Panama’s airport security controls. That investigation identified three Significant Safety Concerns at Tocumen International Airport. Findings specifically highlighted failures in inspecting departing, arriving, and transit passengers before boarding. The report also noted deficiencies in screening transferred checked luggage and underscored the need to guarantee passenger security from the point of inspection at the origin airport until aircraft boarding.
Panama has worked for years to implement alternatives to meet ICAO’s recommendations. The primary mechanism has been the adoption of a One Stop Security (OSS) program. This framework allows for additional reviews of transit passengers coming from air terminals whose security systems Panama has not officially homologated. The goal is to ensure no passenger bypasses a rigorous screening checkpoint somewhere along their journey.
“The training and certification of specialized in-house personnel involves permanent processes and high structural costs. External contracting, on the other hand, allows us to timely meet security requirements without affecting the airport’s regular operation,” explained spokespersons for the airport’s security division. [Translated from Spanish]
Officials argue that outsourcing this specific screening function is a matter of efficiency. Forming a permanent, certified in-house team for a fluctuating passenger segment would be prohibitively expensive and slow to scale. The contracted service provides a flexible solution to an immediate regulatory requirement.
The Homologation Landscape and Passenger Impact
Passengers transiting through Tocumen from countries with existing agreements will not face these extra checks. If a traveler was already properly inspected at their initial departure airport, their “sterile” status is maintained upon arrival in Panama. They can proceed directly to their connecting gate. The new rule specifically targets passengers originating from airports whose standards have not been verified as equivalent to Panama’s.
Data from the Civil Aviation Authority (Panama) shows the country has currently validated or certified the passenger and baggage screening systems of 26 countries and regions as of December 2025. This list includes major partners like the United States, Canada, the European Union bloc, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, and several Caribbean and South American nations. The autoridad aeron is reportedly in technical negotiations with additional states to expand this list.
Tocumen International Airport offers direct connections to 38 countries and over 92 destinations today. The new screening protocol will affect transit passengers arriving from any nation not on the homologated list. This includes travelers whose final destination may be a third country, not Panama itself. The airport confirmed the inspection will apply to all passengers from non-validated countries irrespective of where they are headed next.
This creates a layered security environment. Passengers with a final destination in the United States already undergo a second inspection at Tocumen regardless of their point of origin, a requirement of U.S. border pre-clearance programs. The new stop security measures add another filter for a different set of countries based on Panama’s own risk assessment.
Operational Scale and Future Compliance
The scale of the undertaking is substantial. Tocumen expects to surpass 21 million passengers this year. More than seventy percent of those are projected to be transit travelers. While a majority will originate from homologated countries, a significant minority will now be routed for secondary screening. The exact number depends on the ongoing validation efforts with partner nations.
Airport documents state the general scope of the new service involves conducting security inspections for passengers from flights originating in non-validated countries. By implementing this, Panama would fulfill the ICAO mandate requiring these inspections before transit passengers mingle with origin passengers inside the terminal. Failure to apply this procedure, the documents note, increases the risk of facilitating an act of unlawful interference against civil aviation.
The move signals Panama’s continued effort to position Tocumen as a world-class, secure hub. It directly tackles the historical concerns raised by international auditors. For passengers, it may mean added processing time during connections if flying from certain locations. For the aviation ecosystem, it represents a tangible step toward standardized, global security protocols that aim to protect every leg of a passenger’s journey.