Aviation Security After 9/11: Policy, Programs, and Threat Response

Introduction to Aviation Security

The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and subsequent terrorist events worldwide targeting aviation infrastructure have compelled governments and private industry to view aviation security as an integral part of global security. Neglect in this area can have an adverse impact on the global economy. Aviation security is important in the national and global transportation network, which serves as a vehicle for trade, commerce, and the movement of goods and people by air.

Prior to September 11, 2001, aviation security was viewed as routine measures to prevent passengers from traveling with combustible items and dangerous weapons onboard public carriers. Since the attacks were facilitated by aviation infrastructure, governments at the local, national, and international levels have substantially strengthened security at most airports. Aviation security is not a new concept and can trace its roots to early beginnings when airlines employed armed security to protect passengers, cargo, and aircraft from hijackers.

The earliest modern form of aviation security, which was used to deter hijackings and remains in existence today, is the Federal Air Marshal program, which evolved from the Sky Marshal Program founded in 1962 under the auspices of the Federal Aviation Administration to provide security on high-risk flights. In October 1969, the U.S. Marshals Service started a Sky Marshal Division out of its Miami Field Office to combat increased violence from hijacked aircraft in the Middle East. Since September 11, 2001, there has been a renewed effort to reinforce the aviation security apparatus by implementing additional measures such as screenings for bombs and explosives, full body scans, biometric scans, identification verification procedures for all passengers, and increased scrutiny on all air cargo entering the United States.

The Aviation and Transportation Security Act

Aviation security is not a single-focus entity based only on preventing terrorist attacks; it is integral in preventing thefts, hijackings, losses, and shrinkage in the global supply chain.

In response to the September 11, 2001 attacks, in which aviation infrastructure was used as a weapon of mass destruction, the United States Congress passed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA), which was signed into law by President George W. Bush on November 19, 2001. ATSA established the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) within the Department of Transportation and established a series of critical milestones toward achieving a secure air travel system.

Prior to ATSA, screening of passengers for air travel was the responsibility of individual airlines, which contracted these functions to private firms such as Wackenhut, Globe, and ITS. The security responsibilities of airline representatives at airports consisted of asking two questions of traveling passengers checking luggage: "Have any of the items you are traveling with been out of your immediate control since the time you packed them?" and "Has anyone unknown to you asked you to carry an item aboard the aircraft?" Visitors and passengers were required to pass through metal detectors and have their carry-on luggage X-rayed before entering concourses. Boarding passes and photo identification were not required because concourse areas were still viewed as public spaces.

ATSA specified that the Under Secretary of Transportation for Aviation must be responsible for carrying out federal security screening operations for passenger air transportation, developing standards for the hiring and retention of security screening personnel, training and testing security screening personnel, and hiring and training personnel to provide security screening at all airports where screening is required. The ATSA further requires the Under Secretary to receive, assess, and distribute intelligence information related to aviation security, assess threats to air transportation, develop policies and strategies for dealing with threats, and coordinate countermeasures with appropriate federal departments and agencies. The ATSA also mandates that all potential airport security screening personnel, individuals with access to secure areas, and other transportation security personnel undergo extensive background checks.

The Secure Flight program requires passengers making reservations to provide their full name, date of birth, and gender as they appear on government-issued identification they plan to use when traveling. Employees at the TSA match this information against government watch lists. After matching passenger information, the Secure Flight program transmits results back to airlines so they may issue passenger boarding passes.

Aviation Security Measures Employed After 9/11

Enhanced passenger screening consists of five functions: government-issued identification verification against boarding passes, X-ray screening of carry-on luggage, walk-through metal detector screening of individuals, hand-wand or pat-down screening, and physical search of luggage with trace detection for explosives. In addition, the TSA uses Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques (SPOT) at several large airports throughout the United States. SPOT is a tactic in which security personnel use observational techniques as part of the screening approach. SPOT officers work in pairs and scan passengers at security checkpoints for signs of concerning behaviors.

Checked baggage screening is accomplished through explosive detection systems or explosive trace detection systems, and through other means such as manual searches, canine teams, and passenger bag matching. Passenger and baggage reconciliation is a process where all bags receive a barcode matching a passenger on the flight manifest. If the barcode tag cannot be matched to a passenger in the computer system, the bag will not be loaded on the aircraft.

On September 11, 2001, the FAA employed only 33 of its congressionally authorized strength of 50 Air Marshals, who covered mostly overseas flights because of the high threat of hijackings on routes to specific countries. After September 11, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was created and the Air Marshal Program expanded to approximately 5,000 agents. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was later created, and the TSA became one of several law enforcement agencies placed under the umbrella of DHS.

Federal Flight Deck Officers are eligible flight crewmembers authorized by the TSA Office of Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service to use firearms to defend against acts of criminal violence or air piracy attempting to gain control of an aircraft. These crew members may be the pilot, flight engineer, or navigator assigned to the flight. Federal Flight Deck Officers are trained by the Federal Air Marshal Service on firearms use, use of force, legal issues, defensive tactics, the psychology of survival, and program standard operating procedures. In addition, the ATSA mandated the hardening of cockpit doors on all aircraft as an additional layer of security.

This program authorizes specially trained law enforcement officers by the TSA to fly onboard general aviation aircraft operating into or out of DCA (Washington Dulles International Airport) because of its close proximity to the White House and other critical national infrastructure in the Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. area.

This self-defense program is available to all actively employed or temporarily furloughed U.S. passenger and cargo crew members at 22 sites nationwide and is taught at TSA facilities across the nation. It is a 4-hour practical training developed by the Office of Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service to help prepare crew members to face potential threat situations both on and off the aircraft. It is provided at no cost to crew members, who are welcome to attend the training as many times as they wish.