Green Light Authored Articles & Interviews in ASI

This issue is the final time Aviation Security International goes to press. For its editor-in-chief, it has, for almost quarter of a century, been a labour of love. Philip Baum has served as its editor and, for a number of years, its owner. He has personally penned 138 lead editorials, conducted 11 exclusive interviews, and written 56 feature articles himself, whilst editing the contributions of hundreds of other authors. As this title enters the annals of aviation security history, Philip writes one final article in which he guides us through the journal’s development, highlights some of his own messages delivered - signposted by many of the industry’s key incidents - and shares, in a personal way, his own reflections on his time at the helm.

The mass media love a flight attendant story, especially if there is a sexual twist to it. Consequently, many campaigners and employers are keen to condemn the continued stereotypical portrayal of a flight attendant as an object of sexual desire. A generation ago, already in a supposedly more enlightened era, Britney Spears' video, which accompanied her single 'Toxic', caused ripples of concern within the industry. Yet it's a cliché, which both Hollywood and the advertising industry – as the latest Netflix film '365 DNI' and the Australian lingerie firm Honey Birdette's 'Turbulence' campaign respectively demonstrate – continue to promulgate. Alexandra James weighs up whether such imagery should really be of concern and results in flight attendants not being regarded as the safety and security professionals that they are. She further questions whether the flight attendant community itself is equally culpable for denigrating its professional image given the litany of videos appearing on social media.

What should the checkpoint response be when either a technology alarms – indicating the potential presence of a prohibited/restricted item – or concerns exist about a passenger or employee and, in either case, the physical pat-down search does not reveal any item? Technology can only go so far; ultimately it is up to a human being to make a decision based] on a full risk assessment. Alexandra James discusses the sensitive subject of strip search, and under what circumstances, in an airport environment, such a search can be carried out. She considers operational protocols – number of searchers, witnesses, respect for the passenger or staff member – which need to be defined before considering the practical methods of conducting the search.

On 22 February 2020, an interview with Ryanair’s Chief Executive, Michael O’Leary, appeared in The Times in which he slated current airport security measures and argued that we should focus on young Muslim men as they were more likely to be terrorists. “Who are the bombers? They are going to be single males travelling on their own. If you are travelling with a family of kids, on you go; the chances you are going to blow them all up is f***ing zero. You can’t say stuff, because it’s racism, but it will generally be males of a Muslim persuasion. Thirty years ago, it was the Irish. If that is where the threat is coming from, deal with the threat.” He is so, so wrong. A robust industry response is required as his argument is ignorant, illogical and incendiary. Worse still, it puts the campaign for embracing behavioural analysis back years as, once again, tactical risk assessment will be interpreted as a licence to racially profile. So, here is my open letter to O’Leary appealing for a more considered approach that addresses the very shortcomings of the current system he clearly recognises.

Over the last few years, questions have been raised surrounding the level of hygiene at security checkpoints. Studies have shown that many of the surfaces at the checkpoint, and those of other security screening processes, often show high concentrations of contagious bacteria and viruses. Lucy Rawlings has been investigating the world of germs at airports and what can be done to tackle these minuscule malefactors.

Gangs; they cause chaos worldwide. Their activities range from petty crime and disruption to high profile criminal activities. Transnational gangs are the ultimate entrepreneurs, relentless in conducting their business and harder to control the more lucrative and powerful they become. They fill the gap in the global supply of illegal goods and services, operating a parallel economy, which does not abide by national or international laws and regulations but by their own customs, and ones which can adapt and change rapidly. Those who run and coordinate high profile gang activities constantly push to stay one step ahead of the law and employ a plethora of approaches to conducting their enterprises and preventing recognisable patterns in their activities. These groups pose a great challenge for the airports that become their targets or the grounds upon which they carry out their business. But, how do gangs use airports, what can be learnt from their activities at airports over the last few years and what should our takeaways be regarding how these diverse groups are dealt with? Lucy Rawlings explores.

The world's aviation security regulators are preparing to gather in Montreal for the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) second Global Aviation Security Symposium (AVSEC 2018). As a precursor to the event, Aviation Security International's Editor, Philip Baum asks Sylvain Lefoyer, ICAO's Deputy Director of Aviation Security and Facilitation, how we can truly create an effective global security system granted the multitude of different socio-economic factors impacting Member States. Sylvain Lefoyer answers questions on the legislative process, auditing systems, GASeP progress, threat response and the issues due to be debated in Montreal this November.

Civil aviation remains a prominent target for terrorism and other criminal activity. As such, there is a need to continuously evolve and update security procedures, techniques and, of course, technology. The industry must remain open to new technologies such as advanced imaging technologies (also known as full-body scanners). We must also ensure the continued research and development of the ways in which technologies currently deployed can be updated, remain relevant, and be effective tools in the aviation security arsenal. An important consideration is also the time factor – passengers should be moved through checkpoints as quickly and smoothly as possible so not to create bottlenecks and large queues, which are themselves a target. Lucy Rawlings looks into some of the latest developments in the metal detection technologies available to the security sector and discusses their ongoing relevance in a world in which many prominent security threats contain zero metal content

Over the last two years, US air carriers have reported a significant increase in passengers bringing aboard emotional support animals (ESAs), resulting in a subsequent rise in incidents involving unruly animals during flights. Alexandra James examines the case for ESAs and asks whether more specific legislation and tighter airline policies are needed to tackle this emerging issue.

14 May 2018 will be a day of celebration for some, but one of grief for others. On this date 70 years ago, the declaration of the establishment of the State of Israel was proclaimed. So, whilst realising Zionist aspiration and offering a refuge for European, and indeed global, Jewry in the aftermath of World War II and the Holocaust, it also triggered a violent conflict, which has claimed many lives and to this day remains unresolved. The struggle for a Palestinian homeland has also been a key part of aviation security history, but have the atrocities perpetrated by the likes of al Qaeda, Daesh and other radical Islamists now made it less likely that groups with purpotedly political agendas will target aviation in the future? Iris Chatzidaki-Pefani takes a timely look at the threat posed to aviation by those fighting for the Palestinian cause.

Since commercial airlines began transporting fare-paying passengers across international borders, there have been individuals willing to risk their lives to covertly exploit these flights, often to escape corruption, warfare and famine. Illustrating the problem, this February, two Ecuadorian teenagers fell to their deaths from the wheel well of a Latam Airlines flight departing Guayaquil for New York and, in Nairobi, the frozen corpse of a Congolese man was found in the wheel bay of Kenya Airways flight that had just arrived from Kinshasa. Alexandra James discusses the issues of stowaways, and the measures that must be taken to prevent more live from being lost - and to stop the same vulnerabilities from being exploited by those with more sinister intentions.

When introducing a new uniform, it might be tempting to opt for the cheapest or most convenient choice without really considering all the issues. Alexandra James discusses the psychological and practical impacts a well-designed uniform can have, both on the performance of security personnel and on the mindset of the passengers they are tasked with protecting.

On Tuesday 30th January 2018, at the headquarters of the US Transportation Security Administration in Arlington, TSA Administrator David Pekoske met with Aviation Security International’s editor, Philip Baum, to discuss some of the current challenges facing US and global aviation security, the achievements of the TSA since its inception and the work that still has to be done to ensure that the skies become even safer and more secure than they are today. ASI is delighted to be able to share with its readership their conversation.

The practice of hostage-taking and kidnapping has a long and established history, both in aviation related incidents and other situations. Hostages have been known to react to captivity in a variety of ways, sometimes using their behaviour to manipulate their captors’ actions, and ultimately affecting the outcome of the situation. Lucy Rawlings examines this behaviour and describes three of the main syndromes experienced by those involved in hostage-taking situations.

With increasingly sophisticated technology available to those in the aviation security industry, individuals wishing to carry dangerous or illegal substances and weapons onto flights have been forced into using ever more intimate methods of concealment. Alexandra James discusses body cavity bombs, questions whether they are as imminent a threat as we once thought, and highlights lessons that can be learned from previous incidents.

If you have ever had a job interview, given an important speech or been talked into doing a bungee jump, the chances are you will have experienced the physiological reactions to acute stress. You may have noticed your heart racing, your breathing increase, your palms become sweaty and, in severe and prolonged cases, you may have found yourself rushing to the bathroom. You will also have noticed that these physical symptoms are involuntary, instinctive, and, most crucially for those in the security industry, almost impossible to supress. But what exactly causes these responses, and why is it important to be able to recognise them? Alexandra James explains.

We are all too familiar with the daily challenges involved in keeping flights and passengers secure, while ensuring throughput rates remain high and providing good quality customer service. But what can we do when the measures designed to keep flights and passengers safe are perceived to be offensive, inappropriate or are prohibited by certain cultures and belief systems? Alexandra James will address a number of culturally sensitive issues that often pose challenges for screeners, and present some helpful advice from religious authorities, community representatives and aviation security professionals to help ensure that the dignity of every individual is respected as they pass through our security systems.

One year ago, on 2nd February 2016, Daallo Airlines flight 159 departed Mogadishu bound for Djibouti. In the cockpit’s left hand seat was an experienced Serbian captain, Vladimir (Vlatko) Vodopivec, who had no idea that this was to be his final flight. Shortly after departure, a passenger, seated in a window seat in the sixteenth row, detonated, either knowingly or unwittingly, the improvised explosive device concealed within the laptop computer he had brought on board – one given to him, after the screening checkpoint, by airport-based employees. The blast ripped a hole in the Airbus’ fuselage and sucked Abdullahi Abdisalam Borleh out of the aircraft. But the explosion had taken place at relatively low altitude and Captain Vodopivec was able to maintain control of the aircraft and return to, and safely land in, the Somali capital. On the anniversary of the attack, Philip Baum travelled to Belgrade to meet with the heroic commander to hear his account of the Daallo Airlines bombing.

In September 2016, delegates from across the Europe gathered in Bucharest to attend the closing conference for the Romanian-led ARMLET project. Lucy Rawlings attended the event to report on the initiative itself and witness first-hand some of capabilities of the air marshals trained as part of this European Union-funded programme.

Airport terminals have long provided protestors with a safe and effective environment for spreading international awareness of an array of issues. More often than not, demonstrations are conducted peacefully, causing little to no interruption of services and procedures, but what are the risks associated with protests in an airport setting? Lucy Rawlings discusses these issues and considers whether our right to protest is impinging on the effectiveness of our security measures.

On 22nd March 2016 special correspondent for the Georgian Public Broadcaster, Ketevan Kardava, was standing at the Brussels Airlines ticket desk at Zaventem Airport when two bombs detonated just metres away from her. In the minutes that followed, Kardava, miraculously unscathed, took twelve photographs of her fellow survivors, which were circulated internationally on social media and in the press. These iconic images quickly became synonymous with the terrorist attack on Brussels, and gave the world unparalleled insight into the nail bomb explosions and their victims. In an interview with Alexandra James, Kardava discusses her experience, the effect it has had on her since and the criticism she has received for taking the photographs.