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The recent report of an American Airlines employee sabotaging a flight in order to obtain more overtime represents the biggest threat to commercial aviation. Not only do you have an employee with access to an airport, but also to an airliner, with a legitimate reason to be crawling around the innards of the plane, and… Continue Reading
As we approach the 18th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11th, many of us forget that there is an entire generation out there to which 9/11 is merely a historical event, much like Pearl Harbor was to our generation of boomers and genx’rs. My daughter, Austin, who is a high school junior, composed… Continue Reading
Article Originally Published in the State Aviation Journal May, 2019 Why have gun seizures at US airports gone up by 357% over the past ten years? In 2008, TSA 926 seized guns at screening checkpoints. Last year they seized 4,239 and the rate continues to increase. If you haven’t heard, you can’t carry a gun in… Continue Reading
The Toronto airport again has played a role in aviation security. It was 134years ago, June 23, 1985, when the deadliest airline bombing in history took down Air India Flight 182. The flight had departed from Vancouver, made a stopover in Canada en route to London, but all 329 on board were killed by a… Continue Reading
The U.S. Administration’s budget request for TSA Fiscal Year 2020 continues to be debated. At first glance, I do not like that agencies like the US Coast Guard and cybersecurity defense are getting less funding and focus. I believe cyber is the largest vulnerability to our country and in reality, it’s not a matter of when we go to… Continue Reading
Would you rather live life blissfully unaware of the hazards around you, but exceedingly happy and fulfilled, unafraid and experiencing all that life has to offer, only to be killed suddenly in some sort of violent attack, or would you rather live your entire natural life, prepared and hyper-aware of the violence around you, even… Continue Reading
You may start seeing a lot more armed personnel at your local airport. Is that a good thing? Recently, airports have started to issue requests for armed security officers. The U.S. airport industry has a long-standing tradition of only using certified law enforcement officers to meet the TSA regulations and to respond to incidents, but… Continue Reading
As the shutdown continues with no end in sight, some people are speculating that TSA screeners may go on strike. Or, that more TSA workers will continue to walk off the job, have “blue flu,” or find an employer that can make a payroll, resulting in massive air system shutdowns. While I think a strike… Continue Reading
Today, the aviation industry screens passengers and their carry-on bags essentially the same way it did in the early 1970s. While detection technologies have changed to better detect threats and move people through the checkpoint, training and performance standards for screeners has improved, and risk-based processes have been implemented, the fundamental process is still the… Continue Reading
The Aviation Security Act of 2016 requires TSA to improve the eligibility requirements and increase the disqualifying criminal offenses for personnel working at an airport, who have unescorted access to certain airport security areas. Unfortunately, this doesn’t appear to be on the top priority of TSA as a few months back they decided to kick… Continue Reading