(Part 4 in a series that takes a look at whether aviation security is safer than it was in 2001) The greatest thing we can do to improve air security isn’t about processes and technologies, it’s about understanding – understanding our enemy, understanding our capabilities and understanding each other. The late Dr. Stephen Covey,… Continue Reading
Author Archives: Jeff Price
America, We are Living in a Different World, Part III
(Part III of a series that takes a look at the status of the US aviation security system) Aviation security is still not working – we’re still not winning – and here’s how I know. Shortly after 9/11, we adopted the term, the new normal. The New Normal described what life in America would… Continue Reading
We’re Living in a Different World
(Part 2 in a series examining aviation security 15 years after 9/11) One of my favorite movies in recent years is Draft Day, starring Kevin Costner. Costner plays the General Manager of the Cleveland Browns football team, and the movie follows the wheeling and dealing that happens on the NFL’s draft day, with managers trading… Continue Reading
America, it is time to answer the call once again, because we are at war (Part 1 in a series of 5)
As I sit here watching a rerun of the movie Saving Private Ryan, I am reminded of the history lessons I learned growing up and all of the books about World War II that I used to read. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and the Nazis rolled through Europe, every American citizen was expected to… Continue Reading
What should you do if you’re caught in a mass-casualty incident?
The details surrounding the attack centering on Munich’s Olympia Einkaufszentrum shopping mall are still being ascertained, but one thing remains certain: The headlines announcing tragic events such as these are becoming all too common. Whether the perpetrators of these events are involved in a terrorist organization or self-radicalized, whether the weapons used are firearms, bombs,… Continue Reading
Why more TSA checkpoints are a bad idea
Seems TSA is considering putting MORE checkpoints but outside of terminal buildings. Let me count the several different ways this is a bad idea. 1. Wherever you create a checkpoint, you create a line and, you create a CHOKEpoint – huge amounts of people standing around – which is a natural place to attack. Plus,… Continue Reading
The solution to situations like Istanbul isn’t more screening, it’s Customer Service.
The suicide attack at Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport highlights the necessity of keeping airport security lines short and moving fast. A line of hundreds of people waiting for thorough security screening may lead to greater safety once past the screening point, but the line itself becomes itself a vulnerable target for terrorists. Reacting to long wait times… Continue Reading
How safe are U.S. airports?
The crash of EgyptAir Flight 804 early last Thursday and the recovery of some wreckage Friday was a tragic end to a week that had begun with viral video of huge lines at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints in the United States. These two developments have understandably raised two related questions about aviation security: Are we… Continue Reading
How do you fire the TSA?
By Professor Jeffrey C. Price, lead author, Practical Aviation Security: Predicting and Preventing Future Threats As waiting times at TSA checkpoints continue to increase, with even longer lines and longer waits predicted for the summer travel season, many airports are starting to consider their options. Last month, it was the Atlanta/Hartsfield International Airport director,… Continue Reading
Forget Walt Disney, TSA needs Dr. Phil
By Jeffrey C. Price, Professor, MSU Denver Lead Author, Practical Aviation Security: Predicting and Preventing Future Threats In the early days of TSA, when screening lines were wrapping around terminal buildings and passengers were waiting 3+ hours to get through checkpoints, the agency brought in consultants from Walt Disney World to help them understand… Continue Reading