Module 4.3 Aviation Security

As we all know, there are many threats to Aviation. I remember the days of walking up and standing at the gate to watch loved ones come off the aircraft.  Customer service and comfort were of the utmost importance. Now we can’t even get near the gates without having a ticket, or an escort pass, you always have to go through security and forget about comfort. Over the last 30 years, commercial flying has changed dramatically.

Life in Aviation forever changed on September 11, 2001, as we all watched 4 aircraft crash, and thousands die at the hands of 19 terrorists. In November 2001 the Aviation and Transportation Security Act was signed in to law by President George H.W. Bush, and the Aviation Security Administration (TSA) was created to manage all forms of transportation. (TSA, 2017) As the years have gone by, the TSA has changed and adapted to the many terrorists who have tried to continue to cause devastation. Such as the shoe bomber, in December 2001. The terrorists who plotted to use liquid explosives on at least 10 flights, in August 2006. And my favorite the Underwear Bomber in December 2009. All of these have led to more and more security measures, such as removing our shoes, limiting our liquids to 3.4 oz. and advanced Imaging machines. (TSA, 2017)

Even with the constant change to security, we will continue to have new threats. One threat that is hard to detect is an insider threat. From the people who scan the luggage to the pilots, how do we really know who has bad intentions. In March 2015, Andreas Lubitz intentionally crashed Germanwings Flight 9525 in to the French Alps killing all 150 souls on board. (Levs, 2015). Crew vetting, behavior detection, intelligence and passengers are our best defense against cases like this.

Crew vetting would help eliminate prospective pilots or other crew members from ever being hired. Behavior detection could help bring attention to someone who acts or seems suspicious, this could even be someone who is just acting out of their norm. These combined with Intelligence, which would watch for patterns, such as internet searches, phone conversations and even places traveled to. Last but certainly not least, passengers. Because even as a passenger, you can notice something out of the ordinary. It takes all of us to remain aware of what is going on to help prevent Aviation threats and help TSA do their job.

Transportation Safety Administration. (2017). Timeline. Retrieved from https://www.tsa.gov/timeline

Levs, Smith-Spark &Yan (2015, March 26) Germanwings Flight 9525 co-pilot deliberately crashed plane, officials say. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com