FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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The near-impossible task of securing airports

The near-impossible task of securing airports

Before they triggered explosives in the busy departure hall at the Brussels international airport this week, the terrorists did not need to pass through any security screenings, highlighting the difficulties of securing large transportation hubs.

Aviation security has been stepped up around the world since the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, when al-Qaeda members took control of four passenger planes. 
However, the increased safety measures have mainly focused on the security of flight operations. To ensure that no explosives get on board, passengers have their luggage carefully screened, are forbidden from taking liquids through security, and sometimes have to take their shoes off.
Israeli security officials have been using a broader and tougher approach.
Anyone who arrives at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport by train or car must pass through several rings of security that involve questioning.
Passengers also have to go through metal detectors as they enter terminals.
Arab travellers have complained that they are often singled out for security checks, and security personnel have been criticised for asking some passengers to show them their e-mails.
The underlying tactic is to flag people who behave unusually or give suspicious answers during questioning.
“Let’s assume a terrorist hides his bomb in someone else’s luggage. We will not find anything on him, but he will not be able to cover up his behaviour,” Israeli security expert Rafi Sela said.
German airline consultant Gerald Wissel thinks that security checks will be expanded to the outer perimeters of airports as in Israel, but he warns that such a strategy brings up a number of unresolved issues, such as the needs for additional space and money.
At Frankfurt airport, one of Europe’s busiest hubs, security personnel would have to screen 170,000 passengers, 80,000 staff and an unknown number of visitors each day, Wissel says. At the same time, Wissel is convinced that aviation security has improved in the wake of the 2011 attacks on New York and Washington.
“It is not clear what exactly has been prevented. But I assume that these measures have deterred potential perpetrators,” he says. However, he points out that there are still gaps to be closed, such as in the controls of air cargo and catering services.
The German Airports Association also warns against hasty decisions. Airport-wide security controls would often be technically impossible because most airports lack the space for them, association chief Ralph Beisel says.
“We cannot create Tel Aviv conditions at Europe’s airports by controlling all visitors before they enter the building,” he says.
Aviation expert Heinrich Grossbongardt says that sealing off airports with additional controls would not solve the problem. Terrorists simply shift their attention to alternative targets if they are prevented from reaching high-profile locations, Grossbongardt says.
This strategy was seen during the Paris attacks in November, when suicide bombers blew themselves up outside the Stade de France stadium after failing to get past security into the arena where 80,000 football fans were watching France playing Germany.
In general, airport terminals are hard to secure, just like other public spaces such as train stations and shopping centres, Grossbongardt adds. “There is no way to protect against fully determined individual perpetrators.” 
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