Article citation information:
Nowak, J., Ogonowski,
K., Kustra, M. Selected aspects of civil aviation security. Scientific Journal of Silesian University of Technology. Series
Transport. 2019, 104, 137-146.
ISSN: 0209-3324. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20858/sjsutst.2019.104.12.
Jacek NOWAK[1],
Krzysztof OGONOWSKI[2], Marek
KUSTRA[3]
SELECTED ASPECTS
OF CIVIL AVIATION SECURITY
Summary. This
article discusses civil aviation security, which is understood as a combination
of human and material activities and resources to safeguard international civil
aviation against acts of unlawful interference. This article presents
protection measures applied in the security system of civil airports. Parts of
the article focuses on both theoretical and practical solutions concerning the
airport security system. The systemic approach observes aviation security as a
set of elements and relationships that occur between them in accordance with
established principles, through the prism of the aim. The aim of aviation
security is to prevent acts of unlawful interference (people, objects,
hazardous materials threatening the safety of aviation and the aviation
infrastructure). The authors of the article have identified the concept of
airport security system and characterised the civil airport as a specific
object. This article presents the procedural and technical aspects of the
functioning of the civil security airport system.
Keywords:
security, civil aviation, civil airport, civilian airport security system, act
of unlawful interference.
1. INTRODUCTION
Civil aviation is considered as the
most secure means of transport in the contemporary world. Statistics support
the above proposition despite the fact that, from time to time, the public
opinion is informed by the mass media about air accidents or acts of terrorism
on board an aircraft or on the grounds of a civil airport. However, in such a
situation it is assumed that aviation security has been affected. For a great
number of people, this seems to be a laconic statement, however, in point of
fact such events result in significant casualties among people and are a cause
of enormous material and prestigious losses.
Safety in aviation is perceived as
a condition, in which the possibility of injury to persons or damage to
property is minimised and it is maintained in a continuous process of threat
identification and safety risk management on an acceptable level or below the
acceptable level [14,7,8,9].
A coherent part of aviation
security is the protection of civil aviation, including the security of civil
airports. Security - in accordance with Annex 17 to the Chicago Convention is
interpreted as a combination of measures and human and material resources
intended to protect international civil aviation against acts of unlawful
interference [3].
The issues related to the
protection of civil aviation are particularly visible at an airport. The
Aviation Law Act specifies that the airport is a public aerodrome used for
commercial flights [6], whereas a commercial flight is a flight, which lands in
order to collect or leave passengers, baggage, cargo or mail, carried for
profit. [4].
In civil protection airport
systems, it is essential to consider, for example, potential risks to the
airport, the vast terrain to be guarded by Aviation Security Service and other
services, a specific airport infrastructure, passenger and freight traffic.
Airports are included in the
state's critical infrastructure, which classifies them as important
installations, requiring widely-understood protection. The importance of such
objects results from their functions in a country, which encompass economic,
social, political, defence and communication [13].
Airport security ensures the safety of passengers, crews
and employees as well as aircraft in aprons and airport facilities. The workers
of Aviation Security Service, Police, Border Guard and operational services are
responsible for airport security. The staff airport security system uses a
variety of technical equipment for assistance. There are two notable aspects of
the airport security system; a technical subsystem (technical devices used for
protection) and a subsystem made up of personnel who are responsible for
flawless operations of the entire system of airport security. Therefore, it is
crucial for the personnel to be properly trained, experienced with full
knowledge of threat awareness that security staff may encounter.
In the traditional approach, the security of civil aviation
against acts of unlawful interference is to prevent the sneaking of objects and
dangerous materials onboard, which pose a threat to the safety of passengers
and aviation infrastructure. The question arises whether such a traditional
perception of civil aviation, including airports, is presently sufficient. The
authors of this article are of the opinion that it is inadequate. The
infiltration of people and hazardous materials into the airport grounds results
from gaps in the protection system. This is unlikely, especially in the Member
States of the European Union, where high common standards for the protection of
airports are established. They are related to the applied procedures, training
and technical devices used by services of the airport.
The aim of this article is to
characterise the system of security for the protection of a civil airport in
terms of the functioning of this type of an object. The problem dealt with by
the authors of this article has been expressed in a question: What is meant by
airport security system?
2. AIRPORT - GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
In accordance with the earlier mentioned Aviation
Law Act, the airport is an aerodrome intended for public and
commercial flights. The aerodrome is an area of takeoffs, landings and taxiing
of aircraft (helicopters, aeroplanes). Thus, an airport is an aerodrome with
all its grounds, equipment and ground services (Fig. 1). The equipment of such
an installation is, among others, dependent on the number of passengers served
and the characteristics of the loaded goods.
Fig. 1. The airport
infrastructure
The airport is divided into
sections where different tasks are performed. The technical part is used by the
services responsible for aircraft takeoffs, stopovers and landings. This
section includes hangars, tower control, taxiways, aprons, exits, runways and
navigational aids.
The airport passenger terminal
provides passenger services [4]. It should have a lounge, baggage services,
check-in area, duty-free zone and technical facilities. In large airports,
there are cargo terminals, designed to handle cargo and mail. Within each
airport, there is also an administrative building [1]. The technical and
organisational airport solutions must ensure the safety of passengers, crews
and personnel and airport operations executed at the airport.
A civil
airport is not only a place of handling passengers. On its premises, especially
in the passenger terminal, numerous retail and customer
service facilities are located. In the vicinity of airports, there are open
conference centres, hotels, coffee shops for the convenience of passengers.
At
international passenger terminals, apart from passport control and check-in
areas, there are specially assigned transit areas. Duty-free shops, relaxation
lounges (for
example, children care), restaurants,
chapels, etc., can be found here. Large airports have more than
one terminal. An excellent example would be the Heathrow airport in London, which has as much as five
terminals. These are not only terminals operating scheduled flights and charter
flights, but also those operating private tourist and business aeroplanes and cargo terminals in which cargo is cleared [5,10,12,15].
A significant part of the airports are
radio-navigation aids. It is possible to determine the position of the receiver
onboard the aircraft in the airspace through these aids. This enables pilots
and air traffic services to bring the flying machine on the ground safely.
These systems are characterised by the following parameters: operating range,
parameter accuracy, operating principle, economy, capacity and reliability [6]. The basic one is Very-High Frequency
Omnidirectional Radio Range – VOR. It determines the position of the
aircraft based on the phase comparison of the signals sent from the earth
station. The next system is called Distance Measuring Equipment – DME. It
is an impulse system designed to measure the distance of an aircraft from a
ground beacon. Analysis of distance changes estimates the speed and expected
arrival time to beacon. Important is the Instrument Landing System - ILS, which
enhances the precision
approach procedure. In addition, safe operations like landing, taking
off, taxiing and others at airports would not be possible without visual
navigational aids. Among others, these aids provide the proper use of such
objects. They are quite numerous. The most common classification consists of
five categories [4]: indicators and
signalling devices, markings, lights, signs, markers. Due to the number of
visual navigational aids, any negligence or damage can cause serious problems
in airport operations.
A civil airport is an area of several hundred
hectares of grounds which needs protection. For example, the surface area of
the London Heathrow Airport equals 1,227 hectares and the largest Polish
national airport Okęcie is an area of approximately 830 hectares.
3. CIVIL AIRPORT SECURITY SYSTEM
The goal
of the airport security system is to ensure a high level of security. The very
word "system" is an expression commonly used colloquially. A system is a deliberately defined set of elements and a set
of linkages among them, which together determine the characteristics as a
whole. Defining the system consists in extracting the elements of the system
environment, significant couplings between system components and relevant
system feedbacks with all its surroundings [16]. Airport security system (Fig. 2) can be treated as a typical
anthropo-technical system. It is a human complex, binding men with technical means, created by a deliberate
human impact on the technical means. A provision of security at an airport
rests on
the Aviation Security Service, the Border Guard, the Police, the Customs
Services and the
airport operational services. The
protection system is an integral part of the airport security system, which is
designed to prevent any act of unlawful interference in its area.
The organisation and functioning of the
security system of individual airports in Poland result from the implementation
of the rules of international aviation law, including the EU to national
documents such as the Aviation Law Act, the National Civil Aviation Security
Programme and other documents affecting solutions in the field of civil
aviation security around Poland. It should be borne in mind that the indicated
documents are updated from time to time. The Aviation Law Act, while shaping
the area for protection, is of vital importance, since the discussed system
should function in accordance with the legislation. In the authors’ opinion, the National Civil Aviation Security
Programme should be noted among a collection of important documents relating to
the security of civil aviation, because its contents are
practically realised in Polish airports.
Fig. 2. Schematic diagram of the system of airport security
In addition to the services, an
important component of the airport security system is the Aviation Security
Team,which consists of the following airport representatives: airport manager
(team leader), the Aviation Security Service, the Police, the Border Guard - at
airports with air border crossings, the Internal Security Agency, the Customs
Service, air carriers operating at the airport [11].
Moreover, representatives of other
bodies conducting business activity at a given aerodrome, medical rescue units
and a relevant province governor may also be invited to work in the Team.
In accordance
with the content of the National Civil Aviation Security Programme, the
Aviation Security Team carries out tasks related to the assessment of airport
security. These are key tasks that shape the area of protection at the airport
and they include [11]:
-
expressing opinions and making proposals of projects, orders and
instructions in order to protect the airport as prepared by the airport manager
-
expressing opinions and making proposals to the programme draft of
airport security
-
assessment of the degree of airport risks or acts of unlawful
interference
-
expressing opinions on solutions concerning the mechanisms of the
functioning of terminals
-
the initialisation of the introduction of new practices and
procedures relating to control measures in terms of security
-
evaluation of the cooperation between air carriers, operating at
the airport and other entities, security services
An important part of the security
are protection devices, or even technical systems supporting human work. An
important group among them is the Access Control Systems. Access Control (AC)
denotes the application of means to prevent the incursion of unauthorised
persons or vehicles, or both at the same time.
The AC system, above all,
effectively controls access to individual rooms and zones. Only authorised
personnel can move around a given facility, using personal identity cards. The
readers of proximity cards, mounted in designated areas, can effectively limit
access to certain areas and/or zones. Owing to the access control system
software, the administrator and other authorised persons have an opportunity
not only to give or restrict access rights for individuals or groups, but also
to control the situation during threats or emergencies. The most important
advantage of using the modern Access Control Systems, apart from tangible
financial benefits, is to increase the level of security and to protect the
property on the premises of the facility. The introduction of access control
reduces the risk of losses due to theft, as well as enabling immediate data
acquisition for people staying and moving around the premises. This is
particularly valuable information in case of a sudden emergency evacuation. The
AC system is based on a cooperation of ID devices, which as a rule, are
proximity cards. The system users are granted permission to move around in
designated zones or by the entrance to the building. In the access control
system, no data are stored on the card, which is of particular importance in
the case of its loss or theft. The working of the system is controlled by a
central processing unit, and its communication with the proximity cards readers
is provided by drivers. The user permissions are given individually, which
allows customising the system to the structure of the company or of the
functions fulfilled by its employees.
Another group is devices used in
security checkups of passengers and baggage. Security controls mean the
application of technical or other means to identify or detect prohibited items.
The equipment used is the X-ray scanner, intended to scan all items for the
presence of concealed weapons, explosives or drugs. X-ray scanners can be used
in prisons, at police stations, in courts, military units, embassies, museums,
banks, airports, border crossings, and sports facilities. During the security
control of liquids, aerosols and gels, airports use an x-ray device, Explosive
Trace Detection (ETD) devices, test strips to test chemical reactions, scanners
of liquids in bottles.
There are also Explosive Detection
Systems (EDS) used. Consequently, at civil airports, there is the need to
extend the Baggage Handling System (BHS) by the EDS system, which is used to
control the hold baggage. It consists of procedures and equipment needed to maintain
a steady level of security. The control process is conducted as follows: the
BHS system provides baggage to the control zone; the device, which x-rays the
baggage, visualises its contents; the operator verifies the contents (unusual
shapes) of the screened baggage; the second operator, if necessary, performs a
manual checkup; in case of a detection of a high-risk material, it is
neutralised.
One of the sensitive, although not
always appreciated, elements of the aviation security system is the electromagnetic
spectrum, which operates a number of radio navigation systems, communications
and other systems, essential for the proper execution of a safe flight. Modern
devices are capable of detecting, with a certain likelihood, any signal emitted
into space, bind the signal to the global axis of time, to recognise it as well
as locating the position of the emitter with a certain accuracy. The monitoring
systems operate passively, hence, their use is secretive in nature. They can
operate in a narrow band, dedicated, in an extreme case, to a single frequency,
or make observations of a very broad range of frequencies. Apart from numerous
optical observation systems or thermal imaging, passive sensors can also be a
great source of information. They complement the operation of other sensors by
detecting persons or devices that are equipped with emission sources of radio
signals, and whose existence may be linked to the concept of threat. In some
areas, the emergence of sources of radio emission (not necessarily the emission
itself) may indicate a threat status. There are already technical solutions
that enable monitoring this area.
At airports around the world,
unattended baggage and suspicious items are a major source of security threats.
Each of them can be a source of a potential bomb threat, requiring an immediate
response from the bomb disposal experts, who often risk their own health and
life. In such a situation, portable x-ray devices, bomb suits and controlled
detonation barrels are used. More and more frequently, the security services
are equipped with special robots or mechanical devices, which automatically
perform some particularly dangerous tasks, for example, screening suspicious
packages. The robot can be controlled by a preinstalled programme or by a set
of general rules which translate into the robot’s
operation by means of artificial intelligence techniques.
It is also necessary to
stress the progress that has been made in properly
constructed fences of key installations, that is, airports. In this case, it is not the classic fence (for example, made of metal), but a system of external
protection. These systems are equipped with a variety of electronic sensors
that give a reliable picture of a situation - that is, what is happening in a given place and time, regardless of
the time of day or night and weather conditions. The external protection
systems, due to heavy working conditions, are very complex systems, often
difficult to install and quite expensive.
4. HUMAN FACTOR IN A CIVIL AIRPORT SECURITY
SYSTEM
The basic elements, which create
aviation safety, are the human factor, the technical factor, the environmental
factor and the organisational factor. However, the human factor generates most
of the aviation events or threats to civilian airports. The human factor can be
defined as something related to human activity, caused by specific individuals
and groups of people filling organisational structures and implementing duties
and tasks resulting from their roles as well as their own private goals and
aspirations in an organisation. Since the beginning of aviation, man has always
played a leading role in the process of shaping aviation security.
Unfortunately, people make mistakes. It is related to the specificity of the
human body, which can even fail in a healthy person, not to mention cases of
neglecting his elementary needs. The term human factor in aviation is widely
understood as air personnel, including pilots, air traffic controllers,
technical and maintenance personnel, crews of aircraft and other persons
responsible for the organisation and security of aviation activities.
Therefore, the human factor in aviation can be described as inadequate to the
situation, the operation of pilots and other persons who caused the situation
of an accident or did not remove it when it was caused by independent factors
and there were real possibilities to remove or reduce the threat. Turning to
considerations concerning the airport security system, this is inadequate to
the existing situation, the actions of persons - employees of airport security
services and other services or persons who caused the threat by unlawful
interference and there was a real possibility of its removal or reduction of
the threat. In the case of airport personnel, the most important elements taken
into consideration are the psychophysical state, specialised competencies and
situational awareness, motivation and discipline. The human factor at the
airport, inter alia, offers officers airport security service and the Border
Guard.
The
airport security service is the basic formation which performs tasks of civil
aviation security at airports. Main tasks are [11]:
-
control access to restricted areas
-
control of passes issued by the airport manager
-
carry out security checks, protection of the restricted area at the
airport and other zones within the jurisdiction of Regulation 300/2008 / EC
-
recognition and transfer to the Police or Border Guard, offender of
safety conditions at the airport or passenger violating the conditions of
carriage and the person who, without obtained authorisation or tried to obtain
access to the restricted area or person who has committed or attempted to
commit an act of unlawful interference and person who violates the public order
as well.
Officers
of the Border Guard are required to check if a transported weapon is unloaded
and properly secured. Moreover, they are also to verify if ammunition was
packed in a suitable manner to prevent any danger, for example, hitting percussion cap [11].
Furthermore, officers perform such actions as [11]:
-
observation and recording operation of security control points
-
immediate response to the infringement of airport security service
-
immediate response to the signals of disruption of public order at the
security point and the area adjacent to it
-
immediate notification to the airport manager proposals for the removal
of identified serious deficiencies
-
immediate request to the airport manager for the removal of identified
serious deficiencies and to inform the President of the CAA about these
deficiencies
The
airport is a specific object. As an element of the transport system, it belongs
to the critical infrastructure and will be a target of acts of terrorist
groups, and during the war, the armed forces of a potential enemy (including
its special forces). This is due to the vast area and specific infrastructure
(Fig. 3).
The
services and other entities should treat airports as special objects of
security and conduct diagnoses to understand the behaviour of criminal groups.
To do that, it is necessary to answer the following questions:
-
What kind of civil aviation elements may be of interest to criminal
groups?
-
What elements will terrorists reach easily?
-
What elements attacked will have the most impact and publicity?
-
What type of organisation can carry out the attack?
Answering
the above questions will prompt adequate knowledge of the object. This will
preventa successful coup by having the element of surprise and preparation for
a possible attack. In addition, the services and entities have specific
procedures. They are described in the National Civil Aviation Security Program.
The third chapter characterises rules of transporting weapons and ammunition,
chapter 4 defines the degree of threat and the prevention of crises in civil
aviation. The part of the document, which strictly deals with airport security,
is Chapter 8. Chapter 10 contains information pertaining to the protection of
the aircraft, and the next one applies to passengers and cabin baggage. Chapter
12 deals with the topic of checked baggage. Moreover, the discussed document
describes methods and means of protection of cargo and mail transport, training
in the field of civil aviation security and the possibility of using dogs to
detect explosives as well. The discussed issues concerning the human factor do
not fully cover this subject. The above material is
only a brief outline showing the essence of human activity at the civil
airport, which prompts further analysis and exploration of the human factor in
civil aviation.
Fig. 3. The airport as a attack object
4. CONCLUSION
This article deals with the subject
"Selected aspects of civil aviation security" and its objective is to
characterise the system of civil airport security in terms of the operation of
this type of object. The problem dealt therein this article was expressed in a
question: How can airport security system be understood? There is no
straightforward answer to this question. In conditions of the following strict
standards for the protection of airports, it appears that infiltration to the
restricted area of the airport (that is, part of the operational airport zone,
where except the limited access, there are also other aviation security
standards in force), of people and hazardous materials, security controls
appears to be extremely difficult. Experience and technical equipment of proper
services responsible for conducting security checks of persons and baggage
impede the action even further. The organisation of airport security also plays
a beneficial role. Every person who seeks access to the restricted zone of the
airport will undergo security controls.
The issue of security of the
airport operational zone looks quite different. This is basically an area in
which the action of people with hostile intentions is very real. One should
expect that such actions may be performed by means of unmanned aerial aircraft,
carrying dangerous explosives, and also creating a possibility of an
intentional collision with an aircraft. A major threat is also posed by portable
flying anti-aircraft mines. The greatest challenge for civil aviation is its
protection in the cyberspace. The availability and universality of networking
solutions intensifies this challenge even more. The deliberations of the
above-mentioned risks made by the authors can be found in the paper entitled: “ Selected threats for civil aviation”.
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Received 22.05.2019; accepted in
revised form 03.08.2019
Scientific
Journal of Silesian University of Technology. Series Transport is licensed
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