Rule and Statement of Guidance - Market Conduct for Virtual Asset Service Providers
BillAIRPORTS AUTHORITY (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2026
A BILL FOR AN ACT TO AMEND THE AIRPORTS AUTHORITY ACT (2005 REVISION) TO EMPOWER APPROVED OFFICERS TO CONDUCT VISUAL INSPECTIONS OF VEHICLES; TO EMPOWER APPROVED OFFICERS TO CONTROL VEHICULAR ACCESS TO DESIGNATED AIRPORT OPERATIONAL ZONES; AND FOR INCIDENTAL AND CONNECTED PURPOSES
PUBLISHING DETAILS Sponsoring Ministry/Portfolio: Ministry of Planning, Lands, Agriculture, Housing and Infrastructure
Memorandum of This Bill seeks to amend the Airports Authority Act (2005 Revision) (the “principal Act”), to empower approved officers of the Cayman Islands Airport Authority to conduct visual inspections of vehicles in designated airport operational zones. The Bill also seeks to amend the principal Act to empower approved officers to control vehicular access to designated airport operational zones. Clause 1 provides the short title of the Bill. Clause 2 provides for general amendments to the principal Act to modernise language in the principal Act. The clause amends the principal Act by — (a) deleting Roman numerals in references to Parts and substituting Arabic numerals; (b) deleting the references to First Schedule, Second Schedule and the Third Schedule; and (c) deleting the word “Law” wherever it appears and substituting the word “Act”. Clause 3 amends the principal Act to provide for definitions of words used in the Bill. The definitions include “approved officer”, “criminal conduct” and “designated airport security zone”. An “approved officer” is defined as a person listed in the new Schedule 4 namely, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Airport Security Officer, the Manager Airport Security, Airport Security Officers and any person designated in writing by the Chief Executive Officer or the Chief Airport Security Officer. The clause defines “criminal conduct” as any act or conduct which may constitute an offence under the laws of the Cayman Islands or any law of the United Kingdom which has been extended to the Cayman Islands. The clause defines “designated airport security zone” as any area within an airport operational area that the Authority prescribes as an area that is subject to enhanced safety, security or access-control measures. Clause 4 amends the principal Act to provide for the insertion of new sections 32A to 32G. The new section 32A empowers an approved officer, while on duty at the airport, to stop any vehicle in a designated airport security zone and to carry out a visual inspection. If a person fails, among other things, to permit an approved officer to stop a vehicle or to carry out a visual inspection in the designated airport security zone, the new section 32A provides that the approved officer may, among other things, refuse the entry of the person or vehicle to any airport operational area. The approved officer may also detain the person, detain the vehicle or seize any weapon held in the vehicle. The new section 32A also provides that the visual inspection of a vehicle does not include physical searches of persons or intrusive searches of vehicles except where the approved officer has reasonable grounds for conducting a search in accordance with new section 32B.
The new section 32B provides that where an approved officer has reasonable grounds for suspecting that a vehicle or its contents or a person operating or being conveyed in a vehicle presents a risk or threat to airport security, the approved officer may search the vehicle or person without a warrant. The new section 32C provides that an approved officer, upon the written instruction of the Chief Executive Officer or the Chief Security Officer, may take such steps as are necessary to comply with any safety or security measures which may be required by the Governor. The new section 32D provides that where there is a change in the prevailing threat level, the Chief Executive Officer or the Chief Security Officer may implement safety or security measures considered necessary to address the prevailing threat. The new section 32E provides that a person who contravenes or fails to comply with a lawful order given by an approved officer under section 32A or 32B commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of five thousand dollars or imprisonment for six months or to both. The new section 32F provides that the powers conferred on approved officers shall at all times be exercised reasonably and with regard to what is necessary for the Authority to ensure compliance with airport security and safety requirements. The powers conferred on approved officers shall not derogate from any other powers exercised by the approved officer, a constable, a customs and border control officer under the principal Act or any other law. The new section 32G empowers the Authority to prescribe, by Order, an area within an airport operational area as a “designated airport security zone” and that area would be an area subject to enhanced safety, security or access-control measures. Clause 5 amends section 41 of the principal Act to empower the Authority to make regulations which provide for the following — (a) security arrangements that align with the Air Safety Support International’s oversight expectations; (b) the operational framework for stopping vehicles and carrying out visual inspections; (c) enforcement mechanisms; (d) training of approved officers; and (e) record keeping, oversight and accountability mechanisms. Clause 6 amends the principal Act to insert new Schedule 4. The new schedule sets out the approved officers of the Authority.
Arrangement of Clauses
AIRPORTS AUTHORITY (AMENDMENT) BILL,
Arrangement of Clauses Clause General amendments to the Airports Authority Act (2005 Revision) - references to Parts, Insertion of sections 32A to 32G – visual inspection of vehicles and associated powers; reasonable grounds for suspicion; general powers of approved officers to carry out safety and security requirements of the Governor; powers exercisable upon increased threat level; offence; reasonable and proportionate exercise of power; designated airport
Clause 1
AIRPORTS AUTHORITY (AMENDMENT) BILL,
A BILL FOR AN ACT TO AMEND THE AIRPORTS AUTHORITY ACT (2005 REVISION) TO EMPOWER APPROVED OFFICERS TO CONDUCT VISUAL INSPECTIONS OF VEHICLES; TO EMPOWER APPROVED OFFICERS TO CONTROL VEHICULAR ACCESS TO DESIGNATED AIRPORT OPERATIONAL ZONES; AND FOR INCIDENTAL AND CONNECTED PURPOSES ENACTED by the Legislature of the Cayman Islands. Short title This Act may be cited as the Airports Authority (Amendment) Act, 2026. General amendments to the Airports Authority Act (2005 Revision) - references to Parts, references to Schedules; references to Law The Airports Authority Act (2005 Revision), in this Act referred to as the “principal Act”, is amended as follows — (a) by deleting the words “Part I” wherever they appear and substituting the words “Part 1”; (b) by deleting the words “Part II” wherever they appear and substituting the words “Part 2”;
Clause 3
by deleting the words “Part III” wherever they appear and substituting the words “Part 3”; (d) by deleting the words “Part IV” wherever they appear and substituting the words “Part 4”; (e) by deleting the words “Part V” wherever they appear and substituting the words “Part 5”; (f) by deleting the words “First Schedule” wherever they appear and substituting the words “Schedule 1”; (g) by deleting the words “Second Schedule” wherever they appear and substituting the words “Schedule 2”; (h) by deleting the words “Third Schedule” wherever they appear and substituting the words “Schedule 3”; and (i) by deleting the word “Law” wherever it appears and substituting the word “Act”. Amendment of section 2 - definitions The principal Act is amended as follows — (a) by deleting the section heading and substituting the following section heading — “Interpretation”; (b) by inserting in the appropriate alphabetical sequence the following definitions — “ “airport operational area” means any land, buildings or infrastructure managed by the Authority and utilised for airport operations; “ASSI” means Air Safety Support International, a subsidiary company of the British Civil Aviation Authority or any successor body or authority; “approved officer” means a person described in section 32A; “criminal conduct” means any act or conduct that may constitute an offence under the laws of the Cayman Islands or any law of the United Kingdom that has been extended to the Cayman Islands; “designated airport security zone” means any area within an airport operational area that the Authority prescribes as an area subject to enhanced safety, security, or access-control measures; “prohibited article” means any article or item that — (a) is made or that may be adapted for use in the course of or in connection with criminal conduct; or (b) presents a risk or threat to airport safety or security;
Clause 4
“threat level” means the security threat level prevailing at the airport as mandated by the Governor from time to time; and “visual inspection” means an inspection of — (a) the exterior and the interior (including the trunk, engine compartment or any other part of a vehicle); or (b) the contents of any part of the vehicle that are plainly visible, that is conducted without physical search or dismantling and is limited to what is reasonable for airport safety, security or operations.”. Insertion of sections 32A to 32G – visual inspection of vehicles and associated powers; reasonable grounds for suspicion; general powers of approved officers to carry out safety and security requirements of the Governor; powers exercisable upon increased threat level; offence; reasonable and proportionate exercise of power; designated airport security zone The principal Act is amended by inserting after section 32 the following sections — “Visual inspection of vehicles and associated powers 32A. (1) An approved officer, while on duty at the airport, may — (a) stop any vehicle in a designated airport security zone; and (b) carry out a visual inspection of any stopped vehicle in a designated airport security zone. (2) A visual inspection of a vehicle in accordance with subsection (1) shall not include — (a) a physical search of a person in the vehicle; (b) an intrusive search of the vehicle or a person in the vehicle; or enforcement activity unrelated to airport safety and security. (3) If a person fails to permit, refuses to permit or obstructs an approved officer in the exercise any of the powers in subsection (1), the approved officer may take any of the following steps — (a) enter the vehicle; (b) detain the person or the vehicle; refuse the entry of the person or the vehicle to any airport (d) restrict the access of the person or the vehicle within any airport (e) control the vehicle’s access within the designated airport security zone;
Clause 4
(f) deny access of the person or the vehicle to the airport (g) seize any weapon or articles, including prohibited articles, held within, inside or outside the vehicle or held by any person in the vehicle; or (h) arrest, without a warrant, any person who contravenes or is suspected of contravening this section. (4) An approved officer is a person listed in Schedule 4. (5) Any person arrested or detained under this section by an approved officer, shall be handed over by the approved officer to a law enforcement officer or taken to a police station as soon as may be practicable. (6) For the purposes of this section, “law enforcement officer” means either a police officer under the Police Act (2021 Revision) or a customs and border control officer under the Customs and Border Control Act (2024 Revision). Reasonable grounds for suspicion 32B After conducting a visual inspection of a vehicle in the designated airport security zone under section 32A, an approved officer who has reasonable grounds for suspecting that — (a) the vehicle or any of its contents; or (b) a person operating or being conveyed in the vehicle, presents a risk or threat to airport safety and security or that the person or vehicle is engaged in criminal conduct, may carry out a physical search of the vehicle or person without a warrant. General powers of approved officers to carry out safety and security requirements of the Governor 32C An approved officer, on the written instruction of the Chief Executive Officer or the Chief Security Officer or the designate of either the Chief Executive Officer or the Chief Security Officer, may take such steps as are necessary to comply with any safety or security measures which may be specifically required by the Governor. Powers exercisable on increased threat level 32D. Where there is a change in the prevailing threat level, the Chief Executive Officer or the Chief Security Officer of the Authority, may at any time implement the safety or security measures considered necessary or appropriate to address the prevailing threat.
Clause 5
Offence 32E. A person who contravenes or fails to comply with a lawful order given by an approved officer in the performance of the approved officer’s duty under section 32A or 32B commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of five thousand dollars or to imprisonment for six months or to both, and may be arrested without a warrant. Reasonable and proportionate exercise of power 32F. The powers conferred on approved officers shall at all times be exercised reasonably and with regard to what is necessary for the Authority to ensure compliance with airport security and safety requirements and shall not derogate from any powers exercisable by — (a) the approved officer; (b) a police officer under the Police Act (2021 Revision); (c) a customs and border control officer under the Customs and Border Control Act (2024 Revision), under this or any other law. Designated airport security zone 32G. The Authority may prescribe, by Order published in the Gazette, an area within an airport operational area as a “designated airport security zone” that is an area that is subject to enhanced safety, security, or access-control measures.”. Amendment of section 41 - regulations The principal Act is amended in section 41(1) by inserting after paragraph (m) the following paragraphs — “(ma)provide for security arrangements that align with ASSI oversight expectations; (mb) provide for the operational framework for stopping vehicles and carrying out visual inspections, including any procedures, limitations on visual inspections and safeguards; (mc) provide for enforcement mechanisms including powers relating to detention and arrest; (md) provide for the authorisation, identification and training of approved officers; (me) provide for record keeping, oversight and accountability mechanisms;”.
Clause 6
Insertion of Schedule 4 - approved officers of the Cayman Islands Airports Authority The principal Act is amended by inserting after Schedule 3 the following schedule — “Schedule 4
(section 32A)
Approved officers of the Cayman Islands Airports Authority
Chief Executive Officer Chief Airport Security Officer Manager Airport Security Airport Security Officers Any person designated in writing by the Chief Executive Officer or the Chief Airport Security Officer”. Passed by the Parliament the day of Speaker Clerk of the Parliament