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Raising the Security Bar

More improved technology is needed to ensure airport security around the world.

By Mujtaba Baig | May 2020


Improving the aviation environment is not an easy job. Two factors are important: passenger comfort and security. These relate to airline and airport services as well as the entire security framework, both on the ground and in the air.

Civilian setups enable air passengers to enjoy their journeys. They aim to maximize passenger comfort in coordination with airlines and airport managements. Their area of remit is from the departure lounge of one airport to the arrival lounge of next airport.

Aviation security calls for a high level of vigilance and both civilian and defence forces manage this function. They oversee both the landside and airside aspects of civil aviation. Their jurisdiction begins from the entrance point of the departing airport and ends at the exit point of the arrival airport.

Civilian security forces look after operational security at airports. They monitor the take-off, flying and landing of each aircraft. The management of overflying air traffic is also a part of operational security. It is of a technical nature in which gadgets and equipment assist the manual effort.

Operational security forces also guard restricted areas which unauthorized persons are not permitted to enter. The quality of operational security depends upon the efficiency of the manpower.

External security is of two types. The first is ground-level external security. It begins from the place where the jurisdiction of the airport starts.

All the areas in and around an airport touching its boundary walls are under its jurisdiction. This involves a high-level of surveillance to combat all types of threats.

Air space security is the domain of the air defence services. The response level of air defence forces to any threat should not be more than a few seconds.

Security equipment at airports needs an advanced level of maintenance

In many countries, it ranges from ten to twenty seconds. In other places, it may be forty seconds or more and this not considered satisfactory.

Air traffic control points out any threat in the air and the civilian force manages it. The civilian force conveys possibility of the threat to the defence forces, which respond in a few seconds to avert it.

The incidents of 9/11 have changed the dynamics of aviation security all over the world. Earlier, the parameters were not so rigid. Now, widespread threats of terror have broadened these parameters. The more industrialized countries have exploited leading-edge of technology. They use state-of-the-art methods to optimize ground-level security. Other nations rely on manual methods and are still away from advanced security benchmarks at airports.

Specialized forces ensure ground-level security at airports. With their defence background, they are specially equipped to secure the airports. Defence forces are well equipped for the task all over the world but gaps in technology may reduce their efficiency in some countries.

Terrorism threats have penetrated locations around the world. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has broadened its aviation security parameters and is training its aviation security manpower against terror attacks.

An ICAO team conducts special security audits at all major airports around the world. They do not make publicise country-wise security ranking of various countries to avoid leakage of sensitive information to terror elements.

Another hurdle in the path of aviation security is a fast-rising urban population. City settlements are closing in on airports and this calls for even more heightened security measures at airports.

In some less-developed countries, the situation is quite alarming. They already suffer from a shortage of funds and it is difficult for them to shift their airports away from expanding cities. They manage airport security through their meager resources but these are insufficient in meeting ICAO security parameters.

The quality of policing in and around airports also varies. In the poorer countries, the untoward incidents are common. In the advanced countries, the entire security network operates with the help of technology and it is quite difficult to dodge it.

Security equipment at airports needs an advanced level of maintenance. This is rarely done in the less-privileged countries because of a lack of funds. In other countries, the likelihood of human error cannot be ignored. As a result, a few incidents of violation do occur but does not lead to major accidents.

For air space security, most nations have advanced security mechanisms. No nation can afford to compromise its integrity and solidarity. But terror threats do exist everywhere and anti-state elements are also equipping themselves with the latest technology.

A lot more must be done to counter terrorism threats in the aviation sector. Low confidence in aviation security hits the aviation business. If passengers feel safe they prefer air travel, traffic grows and the aviation sector expands which boosts the economy of the country.

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