Philip Baum

The recipient of the 2021 award for Lifetime Achievement and Contribution to Aviation Security, Philip is an ardent proponent of behavioural analysis solutions and common-sense based decision-making in all security arenas.

Philip Baum is a security professional with 35 years’ experience, primarily gained within the international civil aviation environment. His reputation is built on his common-sense approach to risk management and his desire to enable others to think outside the box and develop effective security solutions capitalising on human intuition and the intelligent use of technology.

Philip started working within the aviation industry in the 1980s, when he joined Trans World Airlines’ security subsidiary at London Heathrow. From Duty Manager at Heathrow, he moved to TWA’s International HQ where he ultimately became Manager Security Training and Auditing. He left, in 1996, to establish Green Light, through which Philip serves as a subject matter expert for the Airports Council International (ACI) in the area of Behavioural Analysis and runs training courses for them accordingly. Likewise, Philip designs and delivers the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Inflight Security courses.

Through Green Light, Philip has delivered training programmes around the globe, managed long-term security consultancy projects in places as diverse as The Gambia and Greenland. Philip has spearheaded new industry initiatives, including the Blue Skies conferences run by AVSECO in Hong Kong.

Philip devised and developed T.R.A.P.^® (Tactical Risk Assessment of People), a risk-based security system based on non-racial profiling, observational and questioning techniques. He also established, and chairs, the Behavioural Analysis series of conferences, as well as the DISPAX World trade shows on hijacker and unruly airline passenger management.

Philip was used as an expert witness in the United Kingdom’s House of Commons’ Home Affairs Committee inquiry into aviation security in the aftermath of the attempted downing of an aircraft by a suicide bomber on Christmas Day 2009.

He was appointed Visiting Professor, Aviation Security by Coventry University in 2018.

Philip served 24 years as the editor-in-chief of Aviation Security International from 1997 until 2021. The general media utilise Philip’s services when in need of expert comment; he is a regular guest on CNN, Sky News and the BBC.

Philip’s first book, Violence in the Skies: a history of aircraft hijacking and bombing, was released on 29 February 2016.