Overview
Airport security includes the techniques and methods used to protect passengers, staff, aircraft, and airport property from malicious harm, crime, terrorism, and other threats. Aviation security more broadly combines measures along with human and material resources to safeguard civil aviation against acts of unlawful interference, which can include terrorism, sabotage, threats to life and property, false threat communication, and bombing. Because large numbers of people pass through airports every day, they present a potential target requiring continuous, layered security measures, including passenger and baggage screening, access control to secure areas, and coordination between airport operators, airlines, and government security agencies. Aviation security standards and procedures have evolved substantially since the September 11, 2001 attacks, with most countries significantly expanding screening requirements and security infrastructure investment in the years since.
History
Modern aviation security measures developed largely in response to a wave of aircraft hijackings in the 1960s and 1970s, which prompted the introduction of passenger and baggage screening at airports for the first time. The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States triggered the most significant transformation in aviation security history, leading to the creation of the Transportation Security Administration and comparable agencies in other countries, along with dramatically expanded screening requirements worldwide. Subsequent security incidents through the 2000s, including attempted shoe and underwear bombings, prompted further specific security measures, from shoe removal requirements to liquid restrictions, that remain familiar parts of the airport security experience today. Aviation security continues to evolve in response to emerging threats, with biometric screening, enhanced explosive detection technology, and intelligence-sharing between countries all playing an increasing role in how airports and airlines address security risks.
Design & Specifications
Security screening uses X-ray, explosive detection, and increasingly biometric technology to screen passengers, baggage, and cargo.
Operations
Security agencies and airport staff screen passengers and baggage continuously, adjusting procedures in response to intelligence and emerging threats.
References
| Category | Regulatory Bodies, Law & Alliances |
| Type | Aviation safeguarding measures |
| Major Turning Point | September 11, 2001 |
| Key Agency (US) | TSA |
| Scope | Screening, access control, intelligence |