The Importance of Aviation Security

Air travel provides tremendous connectivity from a national, regional, and global scale. It also creates employment, promotes trade, and drives tourism.

Over 100,000 flights take off and land in different parts of the world every 24 hours. Due to its importance, air travel also attracts different types of criminals. These lawbreakers include terrorists, hijackers, smugglers, and traffickers.  

Airlines depend on aviation security mechanisms to protect their daily operations. In this piece, we explore aviation security and its importance.

What is Aviation Security?

The common menaces in the aviation industry revolve around unlawful interference with aviation. Aviation security is the application of various measures to intercept potential threats. It combines human and material resources to safeguard air travel.

Who does Aviation Security Protect?

Aviation security protects;

• Passengers
• The general public
• Crew,
• Airline employees

Aviation security is regulated on a national and international level. Examples of the international regulatory bodies include;

• International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)
• International Air Transport Association (IATA)

Examples of National Civil Authorities are as follows;

• Transportation Security Administration(TSA) for the United States
• Department for Transport for the United Kingdom
• Civil Aviation Authority(CAA) for Belgium

These are a few examples. However, each nation has its own National Civil Association Authority.

Aviation security is a shared responsibility. It starts with the security team at the gate of an airport. However, all airport employees and crew members undergo aviation security training.

Different jobs in aviation demand specific training on security. The training helps to identify threats to air travel and eliminate them. 

What is the Importance of Aviation Security?

In the 1960s, the aviation industry did not have stringent security measures. The risks of hijacks and terror attacks were minimal. But with incidents like 9/11 and many others, a lot has since changed. Here are the reasons why aviation security has become extremely important;

Airport Safety Systems

A lot of criminal activities can happen in airports. For instance, drug dealers try to transport narcotics through major entry points. And using an airplane is always a viable option.

There was a case where an airplane had to make an emergency landing because a passenger had swallowed 246 packets of cocaine.  This may not seem like a direct threat to the flight crew and passengers' lives. Nonetheless, it is a good example of unlawful interference with aviation.

Medical emergencies emanating from such incidents cause uneasiness and confusion among passengers. For these reasons, airport security takes all the necessary measures to screen passengers and eliminate these kinds of threats.

Airport Security

When you walk through the airport gates in any country, you go through a screening process. Airport security also checks your belongings.

The objective is to make sure that you are not carrying harmful materials such as liquid bombs or weapons in the plane. If criminals sneak these items into the airplane, they can hijack or even blow up the plane. Airport security has to work round the clock to prevent this from happening.

Airlines and airport employees have to stay alert. They need to have the necessary skills to stop or prevent unlawful aviation interference before it happens.

Passenger Satisfaction

Passengers like to feel safe during their travels. Increased incidents of insecurity in airports can make travelers extremely anxious. It is the role of aviation security to make the passenger experience safe and pleasant.  

Unruly passengers can make a flight incredibly uncomfortable to the other people on board. Aviation security training prepares staff to detect and prevent these incidences from happening. To achieve this, the personnel rely on security screening, check-in, and boarding gate processes.

Whenever passengers get into any airport, they should feel safe and confident. It is the only way they can board an airplane without any qualms.

Crew Safety

Crew safety is another crucial aspect of aviation security. Flight crew training helps the members to respond to threat accordingly during a flight. When crew members are well prepared, they can protect themselves and the passengers in case of a security breach.

Aviation security tips that crew members receive during training include dealing with cabin disturbances. They help to de-escalate situations and keep everybody calm until the end of the journey.

Prevent Smuggling

Aviation security also leads from the front in preventing smuggling. People attempt to smuggle drugs, rare animals, and chemicals through airports.

The security personnel at the airports have the skills to stop smuggling activities before they take place. The security protocols that they use helps to prevent the transportation of stolen antiques or precious stones.

Passenger Health

Aviation security goes beyond general safety. Some passengers have health conditions that are not ideal for flying. Still, they may need to fly for one reason or another. The responsibility of people traveling safely to their destination partly shifts to the airlines.

Airlines take various measures to provide such travelers with the best care throughout the flight. The goal is to minimize or eliminate health complications during a flight.

Economic Activities

Cargo planes transport various commodities from one country to another. This promotes global trade and supports the economy. Products have to reach their destination in a good condition.

Aviation security helps to deliver these products to their destinations safely. It also provides and safeguards job opportunities within the aviation industry.

Train With Us

At Aviation Secure, we provide comprehensive aviation security and awareness training. We tailor our programs to the needs of flight crews and flight departments. Our main objective is to prepare your crew members for all types of unlawful aviation interferences.

The best part is that we offer the training offline and online. This makes it possible for anyone interested in our programs to choose a convenient mode of learning. Contact us today, to learn more about our programs.