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Essay on Aviation Security

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AVIATION SECURITY RESEARCH ESSAY
Introduction
This paper aims to address the impact of aviation security systems at airports which are implemented through controlled security programmes. It is without a doubt that our society has patterned to continually evolve into a technologically-based information age. With the ease of acquiring information even for the ‘average joe’ today, governing authorities must respond by continually placing newer and improved security systems, particularly in the aviation industry.
Jones (2002) describes technology as a pillar of counter-terrorism, and suggests that significant attacks expand the array of technology initiatives required. Advances in technology include airport baggage screening, postal …show more content…

Operational and legislative developments in Screening
The introduction of X-ray screening came to be as a response to the hijackings of Dawson’s Field on September 6, 1970 (Kazda & Caves, 2007). Acts of terrorism manifested by the PFLP group (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) orchestrated the hijackings of various passenger flights from operators including Pan America, TWA, Swiss Air and BOAC. The PFLP diverted flights to Dawson's Field, Jorden (with the exception of Pan America B747 commandeered toward Cairo) holding hostages for political reasons. The operational practices of screening in this era were mostly basic hand-held metal detectors, along with early versions of walk-through metal detectors as the birth of passenger detection. The conventional x-ray systems introduced at this time were initially for carry-on baggage scanning, a system widely adopted by many airports. With increased usage, operators also utilised conventional x-rays in large quantities for hold-checked baggage, manually searching a minimum of 10% of all screened items for effective practices (Shanks & Bradley, 2004). Two years after, in 1972, magnetometer-type screening was practiced in airports with 100% of all carry-on baggage being checked for domestic shuttle flights in the United

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