Knowra Airport security Airport security Airport security comprises measures that protect airports, passengers, aircraft, and air travel from unlawful interference, including screening, access control, and threat response.
Passenger screening : Inspection of travelers and their belongings to detect prohibited items or security threats before boarding. It is the checkpoint process most passengers encounter before entering a secure departure area.
Aircraft hijacking : The unlawful seizure or control of an aircraft by force, threat, or coercion. A wave of hijackings in the 1960s and 1970s drove systematic passenger screening.
Checked baggage screening : Inspection of baggage accepted for carriage in an aircraft's hold to detect explosives and other prohibited threats. It addresses risks posed by bags that travel separately from their owners.
Risk-based security : A security approach that allocates scrutiny according to assessed threats and vulnerabilities rather than applying identical measures to everyone. It contrasts with uniform screening by varying procedures according to risk indicators.
Airport security screening : Inspection of people, baggage, and cargo using procedures and technologies designed to detect threats. It combines searches, imaging, and detection methods into a layered checkpoint system.
Pan Am Flight 103 : A 1988 bombing of a Pan Am flight over Lockerbie, Scotland, that killed 270 people. The disaster exposed weaknesses in checked-baggage security and prompted stronger controls.
Cargo security : Safeguards that protect air freight and mail from explosives, tampering, and other unlawful interference. Cargo screening extends aviation security beyond passenger terminals and checked bags.
Security theater : Visible security practices that reassure the public but provide little demonstrable protection against threats. The term captures criticism that some airport measures prioritize reassurance over measurable risk reduction.
Explosive detection system : Equipment that identifies explosive materials in baggage or other objects through chemical or imaging analysis. Automated explosive detection helps screen checked baggage and carry-on items.
September 11 attacks : A coordinated terrorist attack in 2001 in which hijacked aircraft struck targets in the United States. The attacks led to major changes in aviation security, including federalized passenger screening in the United States.
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