PROTECTING AIRCRAFT: LONG OVERSHADOWED BY A FOCUS ON SCREENING

摘要

Aviation security, as a subject matter, is about analysing, and responding to, the broad range of threats which the industry faces with the aim of preventing acts of criminal interference taking place in the first place or, worst case scenario, enabling a response to incidents which limits the potential for loss of life or serious injury. Given the extremely limited number of terrorist incidents which do occur, one could argue that the screening regime we all have to endure is disproportionate to the threat. After all, should two men with explosives in their shoes, or one failed plot utilising liquid explosives, result in millions of passengers around the world having to dispose of valuable perfumes and alcoholic beverages inadvertently carried or divest themselves of footwear before transiting the archway metal detector? Of course, the counter argument is that the measures we implement are mild inconveniences, ones better suffered than being blown out of the skies. After all, let's err on the side of caution...