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Pepto-Bismol: giving the lawmakers an upset stomach
25 Oct 2010Like many Europeans, I took a vacation this summer and had a wonderful two weeks trying to “get away from it all” in Rhode Island and Iceland (highly recommended). Early in the morning of my first day back, I was brought swiftly back to reality when it emerged that two men had been arrested on their arrival in Amsterdam off a United Airlines flight from Chicago. The benefits of my trip to the beach at Narragansett and the Icelandic geysers, waterfalls and thermal pools were short lived! Admittedly prior to establishing the full facts of the case, my blood pressure rose as the initial story broke. One of those arrested, Ahmed Mohammed Nasser al Soofi, had been identified as warranting further examination as he checked in for his trip in Birmingham, Alabama. His heavy clothing worn in the height of the summer and his behaviour resulted in his being subject to search. Within his checked luggage screeners found a strange item consisting of a mobile phone taped to watches and a bottle of Pepto-Bismol.
Cyber Security: the hacking threat
25 Oct 2010Online check-in is available in most airports; self baggage check is becoming a reality; baggage reconciliation systems are automated; computers help air traffic control coordinate the path of airplanes. The age of technology has most definitely arrived. It has brought with it a whole new breed of terrorists: cyber terrorists. Stacy A. Shannon looks at how it is changing the role of aviation security around the world. As technology becomes more and more commonplace and relied upon, the consequences of its failure have become even greater, according to Karl Rauscher, chief technology officer and distinguished fellow of the East West Institute, an international think tank with offices in the United States, Belgium and Russia. “The bigger picture is that we’re depending on the technology more and more,” he said. “Dependence is growing every year.” Jón Kristinn Ragnarsson, who recently received his master’s degree in international relations from the University of Iceland and has studied cyber security in Iceland, agreed with Rauscher. He said with technology advancing rapidly and the industry depending heavily upon it, serious security infractions could have already occurred. “I would not be surprised if the possibility to board a plane undetected was already at the disposal of criminals,” he said. “It could, of course, even have happened, but we just don’t know about it. It would be in the interest of the government [and] airlines that the general public not know about things like that. The extent of these crimes has probably not yet been realised.”
Controlling Explosions: by timers, barometric devices, switches and more
25 Oct 2010How does the terrorist of 2010 ensure that their device detonates at the intended time or location? Andy Oppenheimer studies the various control mechanisms that can be used and what they might look like on physical inspection or under X-ray examination. On Christmas Day 2009, an attempt by 23-year-old Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253 bound for Detroit failed – most likely due to a faulty detonation sequence. The would-be bomber, whose device incorporated a cocktail of explosives hidden in his underpants, is said to have tried to initiate it by injecting an acid into the main charge of Pentaerythritol (PETN), a proven, stable high-explosive combined with the peroxide-based homemade explosive Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP). It is believed the injected acid was intended to ignite the TATP in order to, in turn, detonate the PETN – but the normally highly volatile TATP did not ignite as planned, as the acid injected into the explosives may not have produced enough heat.
Pacific Islands: Avsec New Zealand-Style
25 Oct 2010The idyllic island nations of the south Pacific are a far cry from the world of international terrorism. These states must still however comply with international conventions governing civil aviation; and their governments recognise that aviation security measures are designed to prevent any unlawful act, not just the actions of terrorists. Reducing complacency amongst the security personnel and raising the necessary funds to deploy the latest technologies are significant challenges in an environment where small populations limits the money available and where palm trees, coral reefs and sun drenched beaches make a sense of crisis hard to embrace. Fortunately the Pacific region does benefit from support from the more populous and wealthier nations to their south – Australia and New Zealand. New Zealand’s Aviation Security Service (Avsec) General Manager Mark Everitt reports on his organisation and what New Zealand is doing to help make the South Pacific a safer place.
Laser Attacks: carelessness, malice, crime or terrorism?
25 Oct 2010Several countries around the globe have recently seen spikes in laser attacks to aircraft, with ever-more powerful lasers being used. Laser light is harmful to pilots’ eyes and vision, especially during critical phases of the flight, so concern is understandably growing given that the effects of illumination can range from minor distraction through to unconsciousness. Jo Schoenmaker considers the perpetrators, the concerns, the implications and the possible approaches to mitigating this problem?
AVSEC Conventions: beyond Chicago, until Beijing
25 Oct 2010Annex 17 to the Chicago Convention, sometimes referred to as The Security Annex, is the most famous of all the international legal instruments designed to counter the threat of the aviation industry being targeted by those with criminal intent. Yet the Chicago Convention is not the only document worthy of note. Diana Stancu reviews the impact of The Hague, Tokyo and Montreal Conventions and associated Protocols, and considers their aims and objectives whilst evaluating to what extent amendments are necessary. She also highlights the latest legal instruments which were agreed in Beijing this September yet await ratification.
Passenger Restraint Kits: when CRM fails
25 Oct 2010Most airlines train their crews in disruptive passenger diffusion techniques and some provide their crews with the skill set to actually physically restrain an individual when communication fails. Yet, a disturbing number of airlines do not actually carry the restraint devices that need to be applied in the aftermath of physical action taking place. Beth Blair reviews the issues airlines face in the selection of restraint kits and the regulatory challenges to be overcome.Over the past decade airlines have encountered some of the most unusual, devastating and outright wacky stories in aviation history. One reoccurring theme continues to surface and that is flight crews having to restrain unruly passengers. Such actions are most commonly triggered by a passenger acting out from alcohol intoxication, air rage or premeditated terrorism.
Leveraging investment in airport security: focus on human factors!
25 Oct 2010Leveraging investment in airport security: focus on human factors! New research project to improve profitability of airports through improving security Haifa, September 20, 2010 – How do security arrangement really work and is there any room for improvement, even after huge investments in airport security in the last decade? To find out, the European Community [...]
SITA HELPS SECURE SOUTH AFRICA’S BORDERS
25 Oct 2010JOHANNESBURG– 19 October 2010 – South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs today celebrated the success of Advance Passenger Processing (APP), the border management solution from air transport IT specialist SITA, during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The system, which was implemented in just nine months, successfully kept “undesirables” from entering the country during the tournament. [...]
