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Issue 5 2011 / 5 October 2011 /
The next time you pass through security at a major Canadian airport, you may find the queues moving a little faster than usual. That’s because the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) is making a number of innovative improvements to the security screening process for a better passenger experience.
The move towards more passenger-focused air travel is one that requires collaboration on the part of all players in the aviation industry, making the timing of this shift critical. In the aftermath of September 11, the industry was scrambling to operate within a new reality and security was, understandably, the overriding focus. But with 10 years behind us, CATSA is working within a much more mature security framework as it relates to the aviation industry where organisations such as ours must widen our approach to providing services to include the needs of the industry as well as the protection of the passenger. This means not only delivering screening services effectively and efficiently, but also considering the requirements of airports, airlines and other partners, as well as passengers. (more…)
Issue 4 2011 / 8 August 2011 /
More than 100 million passengers and billions of pounds worth of freight enter the UK through airports each year. Airports are the largest entry point for traffic into the UK and the UK Border Agency is the first point of contact through the border force.
Formed in 2008, the UK Border Agency is responsible for securing the UK border and controlling migration, with the border force being the law enforcement arm responsible for enforcing customs and immigration law at the border. The Agency uses innovative technology and robust controls to help protect the country from illegal immigration, smugglers, organised crime and terrorism. (more…)
Issue 4 2011 / 8 August 2011 /
Since the devastating terrorist attacks of 9/11, the threat of further atrocities has been at the forefront of the national agenda. Almost 10 years on and the security landscape has changed dramatically, with these changes most apparent in the aviation sector. Moreover, the recent announcement of the death of Osama Bin Laden has provided a stark reminder of the risk the UK continues to face, with the Government warning of an increased likelihood of retaliatory attacks. As such, the role of aviation security is bound to remain critical in the fight against terrorism.
For many of us, it has been hard to believe that almost 10 years have passed since the World Trade Centre attacks of 9/11, bringing the aviation security industry firmly into the spotlight. Since then, airport security has been at the forefront of counter terror measures, as procedures and technology are continually updated to face the ever changing security threat. (more…)
Issue 3 2011 / 10 June 2011 /
The Declaration on Aviation Security adopted unanimously by the 37th Session of the ICAO Assembly last year set the stage for continuing improvements in how threats to the security of aircraft and facilities worldwide will be dealt with in the future.
The catalyst was the attempted bombing of a commercial airliner on 25 December 2009. Shortly after that incident, ICAO convened a series of Ministerial-level conferences on aviation security in Mexico City, Tokyo, Abuja and Abu Dhabi.
In all of the meetings, there was a strong commitment by states to protect civil aviation from all kinds of terrorist threats, as well as an expression of collective responsibility for taking action. (more…)
Issue 2 2011 / 11 April 2011 /
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is dedicated to protecting our Nation’s transportation systems and safeguarding the travelling public. We face an adaptive adversary who seeks vulnerabilities in our system and, as a result, TSA must employ new methods to stay ahead of evolving threats. Security technologies, such as Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT), are a critical part of this effort.
Based upon the latest intelligence and after studying all available technologies, the TSA has concluded AIT is the most effective method to detect threat items concealed on passengers while maintaining efficient checkpoint screening operations. (more…)
Issue 1 2011 / 26 January 2011 /
11 May 1996. After a delay caused by a mechanical problem Valujet flight 592, a Douglas DC-9-32 with 105 passengers and five crew onboard pushes back from the gate at Miami International Airport for departure to Atlanta.
Twenty minutes later, after taxiing to runway 9 Left, the aircraft is airborne but after only six minutes the flight crew receive indications of significant electrical malfunctions. Shortly after, screams from the cabin of “fire” are recorded on the cockpit voice recorder, with a flight attendant heard to say that the cabin was “completely on fire”. Three minutes after the first indication of a problem the aircraft crashes into the Everglades. There are no survivors. (more…)
Issue 1 2011 / 26 January 2011 /
Security has become an ever increasing feature of our daily lives and nowhere is this more readily apparent than in the airport. For the majority of passengers, the most overt indicator is the queue at the security checkpoint as more rigorous checks on passengers and their luggage cause bottlenecks.
While passenger and baggage screening understandably remains a high priority for airports, a more holistic approach is often being adopted, one which brings together the different security threats that are faced and deals with them through interoperable solutions using fully integrated systems. (more…)
Issue 1 2011 / 26 January 2011 /
National headlines for the aviation industry in December 2010 were mostly about snow, closed airports and angry passengers. But amidst the acres of newsprint on the weather and stranded travellers was a court ruling that could actually have much greater implications for the future of the industry and for air travel.
A French court ruled that Continental Airlines was responsible for the tragic Concorde crash in Paris in 2000 because of a FOD (Foreign Object Debris) incident in which a strip of metal on the runway caused fatal damage to the aircraft.
Continental will have to reimburse Air France the compensation it paid to victims’ families and faces the possibility of a major class action suit that could cost hundreds of millions. (more…)
Issue 6 2010 / 13 December 2010 /
Oslo Airport (OSL) is Norway’s main airport located at Gardermoen in the municipality of Ullensaker, approximately 47 kilometres north of Oslo. The airport serviced 18.1 million passengers in 2009 and has been named Europe’s most punctual airport four times by the AEA (Association of European Airlines).
The airport has a strong environmental profile and focuses on public transport to and from the airport. A BAA survey in 2007 showed that Oslo Airport Gardermoen has the highest share of public transport in Europe, with a huge 60.1%. (more…)
Issue 6 2010 / 13 December 2010 /
In the wake of the latest series of terrorist bomb plots, the enhancement of air cargo security has pushed itself firmly into the spotlight. Yet, as Drew Hillier reports, in the UK, for example, where 60% of air freight is carried in passenger airlines, (the remainder being handled by specialist cargo planes) whilst all passenger baggage is subject to inspection by X-ray, only a small amount of air cargo has hitherto been checked with similar rigour. With this in mind, and the global economic belt being pulled ever tighter, it’s time that the industry adopts far greater degrees of joined up thinking to ensure belly-hold cargo does not constitute a major weak link in the worldwide distribution supply chain. (more…)
Issue 3 2010 / 9 June 2010 /
On December 25, 2009, Umar Faruk Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian citizen, allegedly attempted to detonate an improvised explosive device he smuggled on board Northwest Flight 253. The events of Christmas Day serve as a powerful reminder of the extremes to which terrorists will go to circumvent the enhanced security measures put in place since September 11, 2001. It also highlights that our adversary is adaptive and will engineer around static defenses. To stay ahead of this evolving threat landscape, TSA employs a layered approach to securing the Nation’s transportation systems. While our security checkpoints in airports are the most readily recognisable, we have many other critical layers of security in place to mitigate threats, including intelligence analysis, behaviour detection officers, canine teams, as well as other layers that may be visible and invisible to the public. Each layer alone is capable of stopping a terrorist attack but, in combination, their security value is multiplied, creating a strong, formidable system. A terrorist who has to overcome multiple security layers in order to carry out an attack is more likely to be pre-empted, deterred, or thwarted during – or even before – the attempt. (more…)
Airport news / 14 April 2010 /
Hugo Rosemont, security policy adviser for A|D|S, the UK’s AeroSpace, Defence and Security trade organisation today addresses the Counter Terror Expo at London Olympia examining how the current state of the economy affects national security. The speech will propose potential solutions given the current economic climate and will also highlight that more could be done to harness the economic benefits of British-made security equipment exports. It will highlight that future efficiency savings or spending cuts could impact negatively on the UK’s national security capability.
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Airport news / 9 April 2010 /
A|D|S, the UK’s AeroSpace, Defence and Security trade organisation today published a manifesto for the security industry in the run-up to the forthcoming General Election.
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Issue 2 2010 / 5 April 2010 /
The UK has one of the toughest borders in the world and we are determined to ensure it stays that way.
Using technology, the UK Border Agency is transforming the way in which the UK border is protected, tackling smuggling, illegal immigration and associated organised crime, as well as helping identify other threats to the UK whilst facilitating legitimate travel and trade.
In transforming our border, we’re integrating the work of the legacy immigration and customs services into a new joined-up method of managing the border. We are taking advantage of improvements in technology both to increase the level of data and intelligence support to frontline operations and to effectively manage the passage of increasing passenger numbers through automated systems, whilst maintaining strong border controls.
Bringing together the combined abilities and skills from immigration and customs makes a lot of sense as we modernise our border controls to meet new challenges and increased demands. We are increasingly a border guard as opposed to a regulatory service. (more…)
Airport news / 24 March 2010 /
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced an industry strategy for profitable growth in Latin American aviation. “Profitable growth requires that all aviation stakeholders in Latin America—airlines, airports and infrastructure providers— work with a common vision to achieve our priorities: safety, security, cost reduction, environmental responsibility and liberalization,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO in the opening address of the Wings of Change conference in Santiago, Chile.
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