Airport Security: Background of the Problem, Solution

Airport Security
Name
Institution
Airport Security
Airport security is a global problem which has over years become a target for terrorists. Istanbul Ataturk is one of the recent airports to be attacked by the terrorists that left at least 36 people killed and many injured (Tan, 2016). Although there have been a lot of security measures initiated mainly after the 11 September 2001 security attack, there is still a lot to be done to curb terrorism. Terrorism is a socio-political and self-reproducing political phenomenon which can be seen throughout different civilizations. However, it has evolved in the 21st century and demonstrated its ability to cause a systemic crisis at a global level. Terrorism has been closely connected to another phenomenon, globalization, which is all-encompassing. Air transport facilitates the two phenomena by conveying people and cargo around the world within a very short time of up to 24 hours. It is no doubt that aviation is one of the dynamic and most developing transportation means. A testimony to this can be the high number of air transport companies about 10,000 operating worldwide with passengers of about 15,500 using the passenger airlines.
It is regrettable that while aviation posits a positive tendency, it also has a negative side. Because of its vulnerability and significance including bringing together different nationalists, air transport has become a major target and focus operational activity for terrorist structures (Rose, 2016). As a result, this has prompted critical steps geared towards tightening security levels within the industry. This paper has focused on studying the security measures and issues surrounding major airports of the world as well as the possible measures to improve them (Rose, 2016). To attain this outcome, the paper offers solutions to aviation terrorism such as employing behavioral analysis techniques and deploying sophisticated security and search equipment as well as the reinvention of the airport security search process (Hall, 2015).
Background of the Problem
Terrorism is a problem that has persisted across different civilizations of human beings. Airport terrorism became rampant during the early 1970s when the terrorists hijacked at least one commercial aircraft per week. Some of the notable cases included hijacking of four airliners by the Arab terrorists in 1970 and several other hijackings in which the terrorists used bomb threats to lead the aircraft to unknown destinations (John 1991). The terrorists could take the advantage of lax airport security and could board with bombs which they later use to threaten the pilot to follow their commands or they would blast. A typical case occurred in 1971 in Portland when a man who was on board as a D.B Cooper hijacked a flight by claiming to be having a bomb. He collected over $200,000 from the passengers and alighted on a parachute (John, 1991). The terrorists targeted to steal from the passengers while others targeted mass killing. Terrorists are usually armed with guns, bombs and other weapons that they use to threaten the pilot and crew members to give in to their demands, or they execute attacks (James, 2014). Airport terrorism has grown over the years with increasing terror groups. The mother of airport terrorist attacks occurred on 9/11 in 2001 where the Al-Qaida extremists hijacked four passenger airliners and executed suicidal attacks on them in the United States. Over 3,000 people were killed during the attacks (Mock, 2009).
It, therefore, goes without doubt that airport terrorism is a real societal problem for a number reason. First and foremost, the society loses many people and loved ones through airport terrorism every year. As noted earlier in the 9/11 terror attack only, over 3000 people lost their lives in a single attack in the United States (James, 2013). In 2016 only, several hundred of people were killed in more than five airport attacks and hijackings. One of the deadliest attacks was the Istanbul's Ataturk airport attack in which at least 42 people were killed with many others wounded. The attack was executed by Islamic extremists’ bombers. Another bombing attack occurred at Brussels airport where at least sixteen people died in March 2016 (Rose, 2016). It is sad that whenever an airport attack is reported, unfortunately, it does not go without a death toll being encountered.
Unfortunately, loss of lives is not the only pain that the society suffers as a result of airport terrorism (James, 2014). Psychological distress and sadness has hit so many families due to loss of breadwinners of the family and most painfully is where a hijacking is reported, and the people on board are never found whether alive or death. In 1999, Indian Airlines Flight 814 was hijacked by Pakistan hijackers who held the passengers as hostages demanding the release of jailed Pakistani men (John, 1991). Another worst airplane hijacking was the Malaysia MH370 which had 239 passengers on board in 2014. According to a Veteran United States airline pilot, the plane was hijacked and crashed. The plane is claimed to have been crashed in the Indian Ocean, but the families have never recovered the bodies of their loved ones. When hostages are withheld by terrorists, families, and friends to the hostages, suffer psychologically as they are not aware of whether they will be released or will be killed (Hall, 2015). When a plane is hijacked and crashed into an ocean, the family members suffers psychologically for their lifetime because they do not even recover the body so that he or she receives their last rites (Hall, 2015).
Apart from the loss of life and psychological distress, airport terror instils fear and worries on the members of the society. 43% of the Americans express fear of falling victims of terrorism under hijackings or attacks at airports of the world while travelling. 9% of Americans have once cancelled their travel for fear of airport attack especially during times when terrorism is reported in an international airport such as the Istanbul as a recent case (Zeigler, 2015). Passengers travel with fear of being attacked or the airline being hijacked.
Airport terrorism may also lead to long-term social damage that is sometimes difficult to quantify (Mock, 2009). For instance, the two bombings at Brussels that occurred in March 2016 occurred at a time when the continent was dealing with the refugee crisis that has lasted since World War II. The attacks could spur flames of anti-foreigners sentiments and raise heated debates by the nationalist political parties which are increasing by the day (Marcuse, 2015). This would lead to further suffering by the refugees who could even be accused of the bombings or hiding the attackers. Another consequence would be a resulting effect on the regional and global geopolitics (Marcuse, 2015).
Solution
Since 9/11 airport attack, so many security measures have been installed to prevent such an occurrence. Only two months after the attack, United States Congress passed Aviation and Transportation Security Act which established Transportation Security Administration (TSA) (Marcuse, 2015). TSA came up with a lot of procedures and strict guidelines for screening of passengers using an array of machines that would detect weapons and any material that could be used to cause harm and possibly lead to a successful hijacking (Marcuse, 2015). These measures have been reciprocated throughout the world, but surprisingly deadly terror attacks are still reported such as the recent Brussels and Istanbul. This means that these measures are inadequate to counter aviation terrorism and this paper suggests some solutions.
Behavioral analysis techniques can be employed at the airports. This involves monitoring suspicious people by keenly observing the passengers at the checkpoints. Suspicious people will always appear nervous and interact with the environment in an unusual way that can be unique from the crowd (Rose, Adam, et al.) Such personnel shall be trained on special techniques of detecting suspicious people around the airport and report them or even be equipped with necessary handheld equipment that can help them in making quick screening of the suspects (Rose, 2016). The training should, among other things, include training the personnel to familiarize with the expected behavior of the passengers and the staff members within the airport. The trained persons should interrogate those who behave in an unexpected manner probably due to an excitement of the ill motive they are planning (Rose, 2016). These vigilantes should be in plain clothes and mingle with the passengers as they behave as part of them. A terrorist will all the time be looking around and keeps on looking for space to execute their intended activities and therefore trained personnel will not miss out to identify such individuals who will be uncomfortable as they are in a hurry to finish the mission before it is too late (Rose, 2016).
The personnel can be reinforced with dogs that patrol the checkpoint terminals. The dogs will be trained to be sniffing people and their luggage (Ashford, Coutu, & Beasley). The dogs have been known to be perfect for smoking out danger quickly. Also, the terrorist will even be scared to make their way with a bomb towards an area where there are sniffing dogs. The dogs are unpredictable as compared to airport security personnel whose trends are highly predictable to the terrorists. (Mowery, et al., 2014) For example, during lunch time a terrorist may know that most of the staff are out for lunch or are less alert. Contrary to this, dogs a...