Airport security

Under Airport security refers to all measures which serve to prevent crime and terrorist attacks at an airport, so on the ground. Since reside a large number of people in a relatively small space, airports are a potential target for terrorism. Most major airports have their own security forces, supported by police officers. In some countries paramilitary forces or soldiers guard the airports from threats.

Airport security is a part of aviation security, in which it generally comes to the prevention of terrorist or other criminal actions on the safety of civil aviation ( engl. security).

This meaning, the terms flight safety (german flight safety ), so in the broadest sense, the prevention of aircraft accidents, and air traffic control, which is the regulation of traffic flows in the airspace.

To ensure the safety of civil aviation, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO ) requires the various aviation organizations, such as the airport operators, the use of safety management systems (SMS). The basic idea of ​​SMS is to understand security as a management task, ie latent dangers to proactively detect, to prevent them early on (see also the ACRP Reports " Safety Management Systems for Airports ").

Legal foundations

After the events of 11 September 2001, the Regulation ( EC) was introduced in 2320/2002. So it should be impossible for terrorists by new security measures to enter into an airplane. For example, one divides Airports certain security areas whose access is strictly controlled. Even the screening of passengers and hand luggage has been strengthened and the minimum equipment requirements were precisely controlled. In addition, Member States and airports are obliged to create your own security programs.

In Germany, the aviation security measures are regulated by federal law. Since 15 January 2005, a special Aviation Security Act ( Aviation Security Act ) applies. The main preventative tasks relating to airport security, can be summarized as follows:

• § 5 LuftSiG determines the duties and responsibilities of aviation authorities, including the search of passengers and baggage.
• § 7 Aviation Security Act regulates the procedure of background checks, which each person must undergo, which actively takes part on the air and in addition all those who want to travel in safety-critical airport areas. The background check must be repeated at the expense of the requesting person annually.
• § 8 Aviation Security Act regulates the self- assurance obligations of airport operators ( colloquially: " airport security " )

Historical development

In the late sixties internationally increasingly vorfielen hijackings, urged the Federal Government for preventive measures. A legal basis, there were at that time but not yet. The Landshut hijacking in 1977 increased awareness of aviation security and led some years later to the law of civil aviation. The law said that the control of passengers and luggage must be carried out by the countries who have to bear most of the costs. The main components of these checks may not be outsourced to private companies to ensure high standards and exclude price competition. Since 1980, all passengers and all baggage will be screened or searched. After the Lockerbie bombing in 1988, the proportion of controlled baggage was continuously increased and the end of 2002 the checked baggage will be checked thoroughly without exceptions. In 1990, the federal government, a security fee that should cover part of the expenses. Since 1992, the outsourcing of security controls has been approved, due to strict restrictions could private security personnel but not be set until 1995. The federal government still exerts a strong influence and places high demands. Unlike the USA, Germany has also made after the attacks of September 11, 2001, no major changes, but only ad hoc measures according to international standard.

Implementation of the legal requirements

The identity of the passengers, before they are allowed to go on board, checked through passport control. Travelers and crews are sampled at security gates and monitored by metal to metal objects. The luggage and other cargo is x-rayed to prevent weapons or explosives are brought on board an aircraft. Also, the hand baggage is checked, not allowed are all kinds of weapons and their imitations, and other dangerous items exceeding the liquid limit. Unattended luggage will be removed and examined by security personnel. The protection against manipulation in the storage area must be ensured. Luggage is transported only if the corresponding passenger is on board the aircraft.

Staff at airports, airfields and at the airlines, flight students and members of air clubs except pilots who only have a microlight or gliding license, have it checked by air safety authorities annually. Private security companies and agencies for temporary workers to be certified after an extensive background check and bound by long-term contracts and minimum wages. The largest agencies in the field of temporary workers at airports are organized internationally by association. Personnel may only be set after the reliability of the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt through requests at different sites (eg law enforcement authority ) was checked.

Persons whose reliability is not confirmed by an air safety authority must not only enter the public domain areas of the airfield, if they have a valid access authorization ( valid flight ticket ) and controls ( search of person and hand luggage ) have been completed. The inclusion of an activity in the airport, at the airport or on a plane is not lawful for them. Flight crews (pilots and flight attendants ), floor and security guards, cleaners and goods suppliers, transporters, workers at the construction companies who need to get into security areas of the airport, subject to a reliability test (§ 7), and may continue their activities without positive-going background check practically not exercise. Pilots with foreign ticket, however, are not affected.

Airport buildings, airplanes and all major facilities are protected by measures such as alarm systems, video surveillance, fencing, lighting and motion detectors. There are regular patrols to ensure security at the airport. The access of employees to safety- sensitive areas is controlled by ID card, PIN or biometric method.

Is now for the airport security in the United States, the Transportation Security Administration ( TSA ) of the Department of Homeland Security responsible. Before September 11, the securing of private security companies was perceived and under pressure from the airport operator and airlines the cheapest security companies were often preferred. Not infrequently, the lowest paid employees of the airport was a security force.

In Germany there are so -called regulated agent, ie shipping and handling companies that are certified by the Federal Aviation Authority. For safety documentation of shipments must be present, staff training and other measures to protect the air transport security. There is also the regulation of the known consignor who must face the regulated agent to make a Declaration of Security. Then their shipments are treated as known cargo and the cargo at the airport only controls a random basis. For mail that is transported in aircraft, similar rules apply as for freight. In addition, the routing and the flight time of the transporting machine are not mentioned in express shipments.

Profiling

The so-called "profiling" to search for persons with suspicious behavior. These could be people who tremble or are particularly nervous. It should also take the help of airline passengers - who are asked among other things, on the origin and travel plans - necessary.