187

1 INTRODUCTION

Theaviationmarketisexpectedtoshowsolidgrowth

over the next twenty years, fuelled by macro

economic growth, a rising middle class in emerging

economies and a steady growth in e‐commerce. In

addition, increased geopolitical and terrorist threats

will continue to drive demand for aviation security

providers.

The challenges facing airlines and airp

orts have

become ever more complex. At times, aircraft touch

down and take off every minute or so. Optimum

efficiency is required. At the same time, passengers

and staff are now subject to more stringent security

checks.Inamongstallthis,asmoothpassagethrough

the airp

ortmustbe ensured for travellers, andcosts

need to be kept as low as possible. First of all, we

have to clearly distinguished between safety and

securityprocedure.Codeword“safetyfirst”itisnot

justa slogan,it continues tobe thetop priority. But

the battle to ensure passenger safety has shifted

(IATA,2017).Whilstma

nymaystillbeafraidmainly

ofaturbulentflightoratechnicalfailure,thebiggest

Security Requirements for New Threats at International

Airports

G.Nowacki&B.Paszukow

ilitaryUniversityofTechnology,Warsaw,Poland

ABSTRACT:Thepaperreferstosecurityrequirementsfornewthreatsinternationalairports,takingspecifically

intoconsiderationcurrentchallengeswithinprocessingofpassengers,inlightoftypesofcurrentmajorthreats,

in a way ensuring positive passenger experience within their journey. In addition, within the scope of thi

s

paper,presentedinitialoutcomeofstudyresearchamongprofessionalaviationstakeholder’senvironment,on

current threats in the area of security and protection of airport infrastructure. The airports are a very

demandingenvironment:seasonaltraffic,fluctuatingpassengervolumesandlastminutechangesmeanthereis

a lot of flexibility required in order to meet specific needs of airp

ort authorities and their clients or the

passengers (Dolnik, 2009). Therefore, security in aviation sector has been a big issue for civil aviation

authorities,asairports aresusceptible targets forterrorist attacks.The listof incidents isextensive andgets

longereveryyeardespitestrictsecuritymeasures.Withindecades,av

iationhasbecomethebackboneofour

global economy bringing people to business, tourists to vacation destinations and products to markets.

Statisticallyflyingremainsthesafestmodeoftravellingcomparedtoothermodesoftransportation.However,

simultaneously terrorists and criminals continue in their quest to explore new ways of disrupting air

tra

nsportation and the challenge to secure airports and airline assets remain real. This calls for greater

awarenessofsecurityconcernsintheaviationsector.Thekeyelement,howtoprotectsagainstterroristmodus

operandi, is to stay ahead of recent threats, incidents and breaches occurring worldwide. It requires

implementation of effect

ive data sharing systems, in order to proactively monitor potential risks and

vulnerabilitieswithindifferenttypeofaviationecosystems.

http://www.transnav.eu

the International Journal

on Marine Navigation

and Safety of Sea Transportation

Volume 12

Number 1

March 2018

DOI:10.12716/1001.12.01.22

188

potential danger nowadays actually stems from

human action. Not from any individual deficiencies

or staff failings, but from characters with dubious

motives.

Nevertheless,aviationmakesupasubstantialpart

ofthetransportationinfrastructure,thatis becoming

realthreatofterroristsattacks.Unlikeairlines,where

securitycheckpointsscreenpassengersand

luggage,

mass transit options like passenger trains, subways

and buses, are designed to easily accessible and are

thereforehardertoprotect(Nowacki,2014).

Additionally air transport, recognized as one of

themostregulatedmeansoftransport,inthefieldof

safetyandsecurity.

Its size, impact, integration and use by

countries

allovertheworldmakeitvulnerabletoattacks.Over

the years, we have witnessed persistent threats to

aviationandrecognizethattheywillcontinueaslong

astherearepeoplewhowanttocauseharmtotheair

industry. The people organizing and carrying out

criminal and terrorism activities,

 are rapidly

becoming more sophisticated and innovative with

theirmethodsandtechniques.

Theplaneisoneofthesafestmeansoftravelthere

is.Buteveryindividual incidentcausesconsiderable

repercussions. Since Lockerbie andWorld Trade

Centerattacks,checkshavebecometighter,andnew

rules and stipulations apply, affecting the

way

airports operate. Waiting times for passport and

luggage checks have become appreciably longer –

especiallysince11September2001.Theeventsofthe

past have caused the relevant authorities to issue

quitefundamentalstipulationsThesestipulationsset

out,amongstotherthings,howpassengers areto be

checked and how access

 to the high‐security areas

shouldbesetup.

Thekeyelementforeverysecurityorganizationis

tonotonlywanttomeettheserequirements,butalso

to ensure top quality in implementing them. This

efforttoensurequalityisaimedathiscustomers,i.e.

theairlines,and,ofcourse,

atpassengers.Thegoalis

toensurethatthepassengerhas astress‐freestay at

theairportandasafeflight.

Taking into consideration mentioned above,

airports need to focus nowadays on more diverse

resilienceplanswhichincorporateinfrastructureand

securityfailure. They  shouldalsohave theabilityto

deploy

arobustandconsistentstrikeresilienceaction

plan during industrial unrest or unforeseen

establishmentshortfall suchas wide range of CBRN

threats. Within this context emerging technologies,

the changing character of war, a widening cast of

actorsandgrowingrelianceoncyberarechangingthe

nature of the threats –

creating simultaneously

enormous pressure on the industry, to make sure it

maintains its safety level, with the number of air

travellersprojectedtonearlydoubleinthenext15‐20

years.

Therefore, the major challenge for airport

authorities, is to look for solutions, how to improve

overall security at airports, without

 simultaneously

jeopardizing passengers experience and still

maintaining the throughput indicators at reasonable

level.



Figure1. Integrated security concept of airport critical

infrastructure(HoneywellSolutions,2016)

2 ADVANCEDTECHNOLOGY

Intelligent Transport Systems have been fully

exploited to maximize the potential of the transport

network.Standardswillbecomeakeyelementofthe

preferred solutions in emerging economies. Public

transport users will have access to up‐to the‐minute

information, as well as the benefit of smart and



seamless ticketing. Freight operators will have real‐

time information about the entire logistics chain,

enablingthemtochoosethemostsecureandefficient

routefortheirconsignments(Nowacki,2012).

Advances in technology will be a catalyst for

change as innovative screening technologies, data

analytics, automation, robotics will enter inthe

new

airportenvironmentinnearfuture.

These changes will place significant pressure on

thecurrentbusinessmodelsofmanystakeholdersin

theaviation system.Airportsecurity unitswill need

toevaluatetheirroleintheairportsystem,andhow

technology can be integrated, in order to remain

arelevant stakeholder within

 this competitive and

rapidlyevolvingindustry.

Historically, airports were predominantly

government‐ownedentitieswiththesoleobjectiveof

providinganinfrastructureforairlines.Thisresulted

in near‐monopoly environments with little incentive

for improving service levels or the passenger

experience.

Inrecentyears,industryregulationsandincreased

global competition have

driven airports to review

landingfeesinordertoattractnewbusiness,improve

operational performance to save costs and invest in

passenger experience initiatives to differentiatefrom

otherairports.Airportshavebecomeecosystemsthat

airlines assess as a whole, before deciding to move

operations.

This trend has been very visible in

 some of the

latestairportdevelopmentsandthereisaclearpush

to cater to the needs of three target passenger

segments: holiday goers, business people and

shoppers.

AgoodexampleisSingaporeChangiInternational

Airport that has made important investments to

achieve the best possible passenger experience, by

189

offeringrooftop swimmingpools, anindoor tropical

forest, and movie theatres. The objective is clear: as

other airports become important hubs in the Asia

Pacific region, Changi Airport bets that its one‐of‐a‐

kind passenger experience will convince passengers

tooptforalayoverinSingaporewhengivena

choice.

Airports like Frankfurt International Airport are

developing office space on site, offering convenient

transit for business passengers. When it comes to

driving the best shopping experience, Dubai

InternationalAirporttakesthelead.

This trend has been very visible in some of the

latestairportdevelopmentsandthereisa

clearpush

to cater to the needs of three target passenger

segments: holiday goers, business people and

shoppers.

This trends means that companies and providers

located at the airport will need to adapt services

basedonthespecificdemographicsofpassengersand

guestsatagivenairport(Peterson,2017).



Figure2. How smart technologies are transforming air

travel(Sinibaldi,2016)

3 PASSENGEREXPERIENCEFIRST

Improving the passenger experience is an absolute

top priority for airports all over the globe. Airports

have invested in an impressive number of projects

and initiatives that aim to improve the passenger

experience. Some of the projects that speak to the

imagination include the use of robots

 to assist

passengers with directions or improving guest

amenitieswithgymfacilitiesandentertainmentareas.

Some airportsare experimenting with virtual reality

to offer passengers a relaxing moment on atropical

beach,whilewaitingtoboardtheplane.

This continuous pursuit of a better passenger

experience is of particular interest

to security

providers.Securityandpassportchecksappeartobe

themoments inwhich passengersperceive the most

discomfortduringtheir journeys.It logicallyfollows

thatairportswillincreasinglylookintotheseareasto

ensure a pleasant experience throughout the entire

passenger journey. Airports and airlines face equal

challenges.Securitymust

beensuredinlinewiththe

legal requirements, but this must not detract from

passengerconvenience.

The time from arrival at the airport to departure

needstobekeptasshortaspossible.Thisisachieved

through efficient processes at the control points: at

check‐in, passport control and the

boarding pass

check immediately prior to boarding the aircraft.

Propersecurityalsoneedstobeensuredontheroute

from the arrival gate to luggage reclaim and to the

exit–i.e.thetransitionfromcontrolledareastopublic

areas and vice versa. Passenger flows in different

directionshavetobe

strictlysegregatedhere,inorder

to be absolutely certain that dangerous goods or

weaponsdonotchangehandsorfindtheirwayinto

itemsofluggage.



Figure3.PassengeremotiongraphfromSITA’sTheFuture

IsConnected2016report(SITA,2016)

4 SCREENINGTECHNOLOGIESIMPROVING

PASSENGER’SEXPERIENCEAND

SECURITY

4.1 Pre‐screening

Current aviation security procedures screen all

passengers uniformly. Changing the amount of

screening some individuals receive has the potential

to relieve the burden of frequent travelers while

makingthescreeningprocessmoreefficient.Trusted

traveler programs exist so that some

 travelers pre

identifiedas“lowrisk”undergoexpeditedscreening.

Thisallows securityresourcestobeshiftedfromlow

risk passenger to the unknown risk population.

However,fearsarisethatterroristsmayexploitthese

programstoharmthecommunityaroundus.

A number of airlines have already implemented

technology that allows

passengers to scan their

passportorIDduringtheonlinecheck‐inprocess.By

collecting this information, airports know upfront

who willarrive on their premises, allowing them to

focus resources and staff attention to higher risk

passengers.Additionally,TrustedTraveler Programs

provide expedited security checks for preapproved,

low risk travelers

 (such as frequent flyers) through

dedicatedlanesand kiosks.As anexample, theAbu

DhabiInternationalAirportisoneoftheairportsthat

offerstheUSCBPTrustedTravelerprogram.

Digitization also offers opportunities in air cargo

logistics. By exchanging documents and forms

digitally, data mining applications can enable

customs

officials and security providers to focus on

high‐riskcargo(Higgins,2017).

Besides that at the security checkpoints,

passengers and their carry‐ons are subjected to

avariety of techniques aimed at detecting and

removing dangerous items, with the goal being 

190

(according to national authorities) to strike the

appropriate balance between preventing security

breaches and maintaining the efficient movement of

law‐abiding passengers through the security

checkpoints (Elias, 2010). These techniques include

validationof travel documents, use of varioustypes

of electronic detection and imaging technologies,

behaviorrecognitionandphysicalsearches.



Figure4. Trusted Traveler Program Airport Kiosk –

Numberoftravelersusingkioskbyairport(USDepartment

ofHomelandSecurity,2016)

4.2 Screeningpassengersattheairport

Biometricidentificationholdsalotofpromiseforthe

security industry. Uniquedata points ofpeople will

be stored in databases, enabling the accurate

identification of each passenger, guest or employee.

Combinedwith facial recognition,thiscould lead to

onesinglepoint ofsecuritythat

validatesa person’s

identity.Afterthischeckpoint,CCTVenhancedwith

artificial intelligence and facial recognition

techniques, canmonitor each individual and control

accesspoints.TheairportofArubaiscurrentlytesting

this technology in a two‐ year pilot program with

KLM airlines and the cooperation from local

authorities.

In

alesssophisticatedmanner,passportcontrolsor

accesspointscanbeequippedwithfacialrecognition

technology that matches an individual’s biometric

features with the picture on the ID or passport,

controllingaccesstoareaswithintheairportorplanes

(Browne,2014).Whenitcomestoscreening,anumber

ofairportshave

movedtoCTscanners.

However, new technology is already under way,

withscannersbasedonlaserspectroscopylookingfor

elementsofchemicalcompoundsandradiation.Inthe

future, it will be possible to point a molecular laser

scanningdevicetoapersonatadistanceandreceive

a full read‐

out of chemical compounds present,

flaggingexplosivesordrugs.



Figure5. TSA imagine machines explained (w/poll) by

CartoonPerilSaturday,Dec04,2010

4.3 Artificialintelligence

Artificialintelligence(AI)canspeedupthescreening

processinanadditionalnumberofways:

 ImageprocessingsystemsenhancedwithAIcould

view a large set of images and scans, sending

images for human verification in case of doubts

only.

 Coupled with adva nced behavioral analytics,

CCTVsystemscoulddetectsuspectbehaviorsand

facialexpressions, promptingfor the intervention

ofaspecializedsecurityofficer.



Figure6. Concept of future technology in CCTV cameras

that detects criminal and terrorist attacks (Gotrend

TechnologiesInternational,2016)

4.4 Automation

The debate with regards to automation is two‐fold.

While many discussions focus on the impact that it

191

couldhaveonthelaborforceandthefutureofjobs,it

is also clear that combining available technologies

offers new opportunities to serve passengers  in a

moreeffectivemanner.

A concrete example is the security lanes in

Hartsfield‐Jackson Atlanta International Airport,

whereuptofivepassengerscanload

theirbelongings

on conveyer belts. The bins are automatically

replenished,freeingupvaluableresourcestoexecute

highervaluescreeningtasks.

Mobile devices and beacon technology offer new

possibilities to airports and service providers as

passenger flow can be analyzed and predicted. This

will create multiple opportunities for deploying

workforce effectively,

informing passengers and

guestsaboutwaitinglinesoruncoveringpatternsand

linksthatcanleadtofurtheroptimization.

Another current development is automated

immigrationcontrol,previouslyoneofthemosttime‐

consuming processes which passengers had to go

through on their way to the aircraft. The increasing

prevalenceof electronic passports

andstaff IDcards

means that the checks can now be speeded up,

making the work of the border police easier and

reducingcosts.



Figure7.Evolutionofautomatedbordercontrolafter

arrival(SanchezdelRio,2016)

Some technological companies have developed

aspecial sensor‐activated interlock for this purpose.

Before they walk into the interlock corridor,

registered passengers place their pass or ID card in

the document reader at the entrance. The data

are

read off, their authenticityand validity are checked,

andthedooropens.Withintheinterlockchamber,the

passenger’sbiometriccharacteristicsarethenchecked

for instance iris, facial recognition, fingerprints

(JackonB.,LundbergR.others,2012).

Onceapprovalhasbeengranted,theseconddoor

opens and the passenger leaves the interlock

 after

onlyafewseconds.Ifthereisanydoubt,thecheckis

carried out by the border control officers in the

traditional way. This kind of installation could be

used at almost any airport or at any other border

crossing. Sensor‐activated interlocks for automated

immigration control are currently

being piloted in

severalairports.

Another example are one‐way corridors are

particularly useful in this regard. They separate

transferandarrivalpassengers andpublicareasfrom

high‐security areas. At the same  time, they ensure

that arrivals and departures or passengers on

different flights do not inter mingle. They prevent



arrivalsfromgettingfromthepublicareasbackinto

the controlled zones. This is because dangerous

objectsor weaponsmight beconcealed inpassenger

luggage.Suchone‐waycorridorshavenowbecomea

permanentfixtureinairportsecuritysetups.

4.5 Robotics

Atechnologythatspeakstotheimaginationofmany

people is the rise of robotics. Tokyo Haneda

International Airport experiments with assistance

robotsthatcanshowpassengersthewaythroughthe

terminalorrespondtosimplequestions.Whilethese

examplesmightgetalotofattentionfromthepublic,

itisadifferentkindofrobotthatwilllikelyhave

the

largestimpactontheairportecosystemofthefuture.

Fullyautomatedwarehouseswillprocessmillionsof

e‐commerce packages a day, without human

intervention and thus reduce the risk of insider

threatsand reduce the need forscreening processes.

Automated, driverless trucks will haul goods from

warehousetoair

cargoloadingdocks,signalingifany

anomaliesoccurredduringtransitandfacilitatingthe

focusedscreeningofcargoitems.Automatedcarswill

reducetheneedforparkinglots.Theparkinglotsthat

remainwillbefullyautomated,storingandreleasing

vehiclesasneeded,withoutgrantinghumansaccess.

Droneswillflytosites

ofreportedincidentstoassess

gravityandsendimagestoremoteviewingcenters.



Figure8.RoleofroboticsinIT,customerservicesandsales

(PWCCEOPulse,2015)



Figure9. How smart technologies are transforming air

travel(Vinibaldi,2016)

192

5 CONCLUSIONS

Theairportenvironment,willtransformdramatically

intheyearstocome.Combinedwithrisingpassenger

expectations and the need for improved security

effectivenessinthefaceofanevolvingglobalthreat,

thischangedecosystemwillleadtoatransformation

in variety of procedures (Price & Forrest, 2016).

Security

willbeastreamlined,collaborativeanddata‐

drivenprocess.Inthefuture,securityscreeningmight

startat thebookingprocess. Yourbooking data will

bematchedwithauthoritydatabases,raisingflagsif

you show an increasedrisk profile.You will handle

check‐inremotely,possiblyloadingupthebiometric

data

storedonyourpassportandsnappingaselfieto

confirmyouridentity.

Asyoupreparetoleavefortheairport,youwillbe

presentedwithahostofoptionstogetthere,ranging

from public transportation to driverless cars. You

choose to head to the station and take the express

train

 to the airport. You will pass a security

checkpointandcheckyourluggageinatadeskinthe

trainstation.Duringtransit,youwillreceivethelatest

updates on your flights and waiting times at the

securityarea.Whenyouarriveattheairport,anapp

willdirectyou

tothenearestcheckpoint,where you

undergoaquickbiometricverification.

Finally,insteadofputtingcarry‐onsonaconveyer

belt for X‐ray scanning, pulling out shoes and belts

and possibly undergoing a patting, you will breeze

through a passenger screening lane with all your

belongings.

Withtimetospare,

youwillenjoytheamenitiesof

the airport and you will receive anotification when

thetimehasarrivedtoboardyourplane.Noneedto

scrambleforyourboardingpassandpassport,afinal

biometric verification by the CCTV system ensures

youareseatedontherightplane.

Airports

looking to offer such a passenger

experience will need to rethink their security

procedureswiththefollowinginmind:

1 Implement technology as an enabler to enhance

thepassengerexperience  

2 Differentiate focus and resources according to

passengerriskprofiles  

3 Reviewprocesses tomaximizescreeningefficiency

 

Collaborateacrossalargesetofstakeholders  

5 Integrate data to follow passengers through all

stepsoftheirjourney.  

Security has always been a people, process, and

technology business, and it appears more than ever

that advanced technology needs to be applied

uniformlyacrossthe entireglobal aviation

sector,as

well as other vulnerable sectors to detect evolving

threats(Mc.Gaan,2016).Whilecurrenttechnologyis

goodatdetectingexplosives,themajorconcernisthat

terroristcapabilitiesarechallengingourtechnological

capabilitytodetectthelatestthreats.

Simultaneously,automatedsystemsarebecoming

able to handle more and more situations,

 meaning

that humans need to step in only when something

unusual and unexpected occurs. But when humans

havelessopportunitytopracticeandhonetheirskills,

theybecomelessandlesscapableofreactingquickly

andappropriatelyincrisisconditions.

Insomecases,aviationstakeholders,shouldthink

likeattackers,not

defenders.Thebestwaytoprepare

fortomorrow’sattacks,ratherthanmerelypreventa 

repeatofyesterday’s,istothinklikeanattacker.

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