Airport Security Design

Airport Security Design Student’s Name Institution Course # and Name Professor’s Name Submission Date Key Elements in Airport Security Since 9/11 National Cooperation on Airport Security since 9/11 The terror attacks in 2001 in the United States resulted from a hijack of 4 aircraft that were destined for domestic regions. National security threats in the aviation industry were put under great scrutiny in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. The establishment of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is a key element of national cooperation in airport security. The United States significantly overhauled its approach to airport security and created the TSA. President George Bush signed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act in 2001and this law was charged with overseeing and managing security for all modes of transportation (Gerace, 2021). TSA was responsible for ensuring the safety of passengers, crew, and aircraft. The implementation of TSA had many pros. First, the TSA introduced standardized security procedures across all U.S. airports, which ensured a consistent level of security nationwide (Khan & Efthymiou, 2021). Second, airport screening became more rigorous and targeted all forms of threats. Physical search by airport authorities was comprehensive, and advanced technologies complemented this. Moreover, TSA is a federal agency that is subject to government oversight and accountability. This ensures a constant review of security protocols, and all airports must update their security standards based on emerging threats (Gerace, 2021). TSA officers underwent extensive training in security procedures, threat detection, and customer service. The creation of TSA had numerous advantages in ensuring improved security in the aviation industry. Emergency decisions must address immediate concerns while being updated or refined with time. TSA had its share of cons that must be acknowledged. First, TSA implemented some security procedures that violated passengers' rights to privacy. Enhanced screening protocols like full body scans are intrusive and infringe on the privacy rights of individuals. Second, the rigorous security checks have led to longer wait times at airport checkpoints. Many passengers have raised concerns about how longer wait times have inconvenienced them and affected their overall travel experience. Moreover, the aviation industry allocates many resources to implement TSA recommendations (Gerace, 2021). The substantial financial and human resources might be better spent on other aspects of national security or improving aviation infrastructure. International Cooperation of Airport Security Since 9/11 The international community was concerned about the events that occurred in the 9/11 terror attack. Intelligence reports had linked these terror attacks to terrorists who had their bases in other countries. This means that safety in the aviation industry is the responsibility of the international community and not individual nations. The implementation of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards and recommended practices is an international cooperation of airport security that helped the whole world to mount a significant response to air transport security threats. ICAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that is mandated to develop standards and recommend best practices for the aviation industry. All member states must adopt and implement these standards to enhance the security of international air transport. ICAO also updates national aviation industries on the new and emerging threats. The group of experts in member states recommends the best approaches for mitigating these security threats before they occur (ICAO, 2021). The role of ICAO in response to the 9/11 attacks had advantages that benefitted the United States and other nations as well. First, ICAO cham...