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This is an evolving situation so facts may change the information expressed below. The theft of an aircraft out of SeaTac’s airport has shined a light on a rarely considered area of aviation security, the potential threat from those with unfettered access to an airplane. The last significant incident like this was the Germanwings first… Continue Reading
The news the TSA is considering removing screening from over 150 airports across the country is disturbing. While it certainly would save TSA a lot of money, other important issues must be addressed. A small aircraft would not make a very good weapon of mass destruction, yet it can still be commandeered and be an… Continue Reading
An interesting update on drone security was recently published by the AAAE Legislative Alliance on the H.R. 6438 DHS Countering Unmanned Aircraft Systems Coordinator Act. Introduced by Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) July 18, 2018, the bill would amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002, establishing a DHS Coordinator position to: Coordinate the development of policies and plans to… Continue Reading
You may or may not know that I am also a pilot. I began flying while still in college as I pursued my degree in Professional Pilot. So when a reporter contacted me for a story to ask a question about something she overheard while boarding a plane, I was happy to respond. A gate… Continue Reading
Have you ever played a game with a kid who is making up the rules as they go along? And if you start winning they’ll just they change the rules until you finally just get frustrated and quit? Frustrating, isn’t it? Well, at least it is for the adult. The kid had a great time.… Continue Reading
The recent emergency landing of the Southwest Airlines flight 1380 goes to show the importance of listening to the in-flight safety briefing. The life you save may be your own. However, just telling people to “listen to the briefing,” isn’t going to change behavior. As a frequent flyer myself I understand how repetitive the in-flight bright briefing can… Continue Reading
Most of us have heard the phrase, “See something? Say something.” This phrase was adopted by New York City initially after the 9/11 attacks. The phrase was quickly adopted by the TSA as a mantra to encourage passengers and airport workers to report any suspicious activity, people and baggage. In theory, crowdsourcing an active watch… Continue Reading
With repeated reports of detection failures during airport screening checkpoints, aviation security professionals discussed growing concerns during the AAAE/TSA/DHS Annual Aviation Security Summit in Washington DC in December 2017. The fact is that screening detection will continue to improve but likely will still not get a passing grade. The bad news is, a recent DHS… Continue Reading
The TSA was all but was forced to admit in 2017 that their x-ray technology cannot see the latest iteration of bombs threatening aircraft, bombs concealed in large electronic devices or apparently buried under too much food in your carry-on bag. During the AAAE/TSA/DHS Annual Aviation Security Summit in Washington DC in December 2017, the rollout… Continue Reading
We have all heard the reports of checkpoint screening led by the TSA failing at rates as high as 90%. During the AAAE/TSA/DHS Annual Aviation Security Summit in Washington DC in December 2017, industry professionals continued to debate methodology to improve our commercial aviation security screening protocols. In 2018, we will continue to see changes… Continue Reading