Article
citation information:
Śliwińska, A. Providing on board
aircraft security. Scientific Journal of
Silesian University of Technology. Series Transport. 2021, 111, 161-168. ISSN: 0209-3324. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20858/sjsutst.2021.111.14.
Aleksandra ŚLIWIŃSKA[1]
PROVIDING
ON BOARD AIRCRAFT SECURITY
Summary. This article presents the threats to civil aviation,
which may be committed on board aircraft. There are also described solutions,
which implemented can increase the security of aircraft. This directly
influences the security of the entire civil aviation sector. Many procedures
can be introduced by airlines (air carriers) on board aircraft, within the
aircraft while its layover, or stand on the airport’s surfaces for
protection against threats.
Keywords: security, civil aviation, aircraft, aircraft’s board, acts of unlawful interference
1. INTRODUCTION
In aviation, there are two similar areas, which are directed on
almost the same goals. These areas are flight safety and security of aviation.
Flight safety is defined as the conditions which ensure the performance of a
flight by an aircraft without endangering the safety of the crew, passengers
and the aircraft itself, as well as the population and ground equipment [7,
p.40]. Civil aviation security is understood as all activities, methods and
measures taken following the regulations by the security service to ensure the
safety of air transport [6], [4, p.92]. Ensuring adequate security of civil
aviation is aimed at preventing the generation of any threats in the form of
acts of unlawful interference, as well as other acts that could disturb the
security at airports and on board aircraft. Security aims to ensure that the
activities aimed at providing the safety and security of civil aviation
are preventive measures, which will lead to preventing or early detection and
mitigation of the risk of generating a threat to the safety and security of
civil aviation.
The essence of ensuring the security of civil aviation is to
counteract threats, as well as take actions that will ensure the safety and
adequate protection of people, property, and in the event of a threat or
committing acts of unlawful interference, reducing to a minimum, material and
non-material victims and losses. These activities must be undertaken and
carried out at airports and on board aircraft. This elaboration shows the
solutions which when implemented on board aircraft increase the security of
civil aviation.
2. THREATS TO AIRCRAFT SECURITY
In legal acts, threats,
which may jeopardise the security (which is strictly connected and influence on
safety) of civil aviation are called acts of unlawful interference. They may be
committed at the airports and on board aircraft. According to Annex 17 to the
Convention on International Civil Aviation, the acts of unlawful interference,
which may be committed on board aircraft, are [1]:
- unlawful takeover of control of an aircraft (with or
without passengers) in flight,
- destruction of an aircraft in service,
- hostage-taking on board an aircraft,
- unlawful trespassing on board an aircraft,
- bringing on board an aircraft, weapons, dangerous
devices or materials intended for criminal purposes, which are prohibited in
air transport by law, as well as in the conditions of transport of a given air
carrier,
- use of an aircraft in maintenance to cause death,
serious injury, or serious damage to property or the environment,
- providing false information that may threaten the
safety or security of an aircraft in flight, as well as the safety or security
of passengers, crew, ground staff or the public.
In the event of
committing any act that could create a threat to aviation security, the
consequences (usually severe) are drawn, because ensuring, maintaining safety
and adequate protection is a priority in the air transport sector. The essence
of ensuring the security of civil aviation was generated by the numerous acts
committed over time, leading to security disturbances, causing enormous
material and non-material damages and huge loss of life.
3. PROCEDURES AIMED AT SECURITY BEFORE FLIGHT
Ensuring adequate
security on board aircraft, in addition to ensuring security at airports, is a
key aspect to achieving the security of the entire civil aviation sector. The
implementation and assurance of proper security of an aircraft is the result of
procedural, organisational and technical solutions used, implemented and taken
on board it.
One of the activities
aimed at ensuring the security of aircraft is to provide them with adequate
protection. Aircraft are protected during parking and in service[2]. A parked aircraft on
an apron or parking space at the airport should be protected against:
- placing on board dangerous and prohibited
materials that pose a threat to air transport, such as weapons, explosive
materials,
- access by unauthorised persons to the
aircraft’s board, as well as potential interference by strangers.
According to European
regulations, air carriers are responsible for the protection of their aircraft
while its standing on the ground. Most often, this duty is outsourced to
handling companies. On the other hand, the airport’s security services
are responsible for the safety and security of aircraft left at airports. These
organisations are responsible for security during the day and at night, which
comes from their main task of patrolling the manoeuvring areas of the airports.
The prevention of unauthorised access to an aircraft’s board, as well as
the placing on board of hazardous devices and substances, may be performed as a
result of the implementation and taking of actions such as:
- control of passes/IDs of people who have
access to the aircraft,
- control of objects, tools, substances
being brought to the airport’s restricted zones, then to the boards of
aircraft by passengers, employees as well as the aircrew and airport service in
terms of identification and detection of attempts of bringing in prohibited
items (for example, weapons, explosives),
- capturing and handing over to the
appropriate services, that is, the Police, Border Guard, people who placed or tried
to put on board an aircraft or in their proximity, weapons, materials,
substances, explosive devices or devices that could pose a threat to the safety
and security of air transport.
Entities responsible for
securing aircraft against threats, that is, air carriers and owners of
aircraft, to ensure effective protection, are implementing security measures
such as:
- pre-departure check of aircraft’s
board procedure,
- procedure for checking in-flight supplies,
- securing the aircraft during its stay at
airports.
The pre-departure check
of an aircraft’s board procedure is performed every time after a short
and longer layover, during rotation of the aircraft, after passengers
disembark, and when an indication of threat to the aircraft appears or to the
performed air operation. Usually, this checking procedure is performed in
normal/standard circumstances by cabin crew members or cockpit staff (if there
are no cabin crew members on board). In the event of detection or suspicion of
locating an object that may generate a threat, the aircraft inspection is
carried out by the security services. The inspection includes checking the
passenger compartment (shelves above the seats, wardrobes, toilets, kitchens,
rubbish bins, backrests and pockets of passenger seats, spaces between and
under the seats, trolleys and catering containers), the cockpit and external
elements, which could be hidden prohibited and dangerous materials (for
example, luggage compartments). In a situation, when the aircraft departs from
or arrives from a higher risk destination, the control may be carried out by
the Border Guards. After holding, all controls and checks must be prepared in
the aircraft security check report.
The checking of
in-flight supplies procedure is also performed by the cabin crewmembers or the
cockpit crew. This procedure obliges to verify the security features placed on
the in-flight supplies packaging or containers, compare the numbering of
security features, as well as include the visual inspection.
Although the entity to
which the aircraft belongs is directly responsible for securing the aircraft
during parking, the security procedure is often performed by the handling or
maintenance organisation. Sometimes (mainly at small airports and in the case
of smaller, general aviation aircraft) the crew is responsible for the security
aspects during a stopover. Securing aircraft during standstill includes placing
and checking the seals and their compliance with the sealing report. If
the seals have been broken, there is an inaccuracy in their numbering or there
have been any changes in the place of sealing, the personnel should immediately
inform the security service, the agent who ordered the security checking or
inspection, as well as the aircraft commander (designated for the operation, for
which the security is performed).
The procedure for
securing the aircraft during parking should commence immediately after the
handling and maintenance personnel have completed all activities and ordered
services on board the aircraft. If the containment procedure is initiated when,
for example, the maintenance staff is still in the aircraft maintenance area,
then the deck and the aircraft's luggage compartments should be re-checked. The
security features take the form of security labels placements. They should be
glued in such a way that doors and luggage compartments cannot be open without
damaging them or breaking them off. The exact places of affixing the stickers
and confirmation of their placement on individual elements of the aircraft are
included in the Airplane Security Report by the person, who put the
security features on. This report is kept by the crew or by the company that is
responsible for applying the seals. The report must be kept until the security
integrity has been verified before proceeding with the preparation of the
aircraft for the next flight operation. When it is found that the security
stickers have not been tampered with, the report should be archived and kept at
least for one month. However, if the seals are discovered to be broken, then
the aircraft may be allowed to perform flight operations under strict
restrictions, including a thorough search of the aircraft board by security
services (following the procedures in force at the airport) and issuing a
confirmation that no external interference was found.
4. SECURITY PROCEDURES IMPLEMENTED
BY AIRLINES
The procedures
implemented by airlines to ensure the security of civil aviation in the field
of security on board aircraft are:
- verification of the passenger list,
- combining checked luggage with passengers
(reconciliation),
- taking action in the case of dangerous
passengers and passengers violating the conditions of air transport,
- compliance with procedures for the
transport of weapons and other hazardous materials,
- refraining from attempting to transport
items prohibited to be transported by air,
- application of strictly defined procedures
in the event of a bomb threat,
- application of strictly defined procedures
in the event of a threat of committing an act of unlawful interference.
Before the departure of
an aircraft, the aircraft personnel check the documents required for the check-in of
passengers.
First, the number of checked passengers is verified in comparison to the number
of people admitted on board the aircraft. If the number of passengers on board
is different from the number indicated in the documents prepared for the cruise
(in the load sheet), then the passenger’s service agent verifies the
correctness of the checks made by passengers. Additionally, he/she is obliged
to check whether the number of boarding cards is equal to the number of issued
tickets. The comparison of the number of passengers that passed through the
gate in the airport’s terminal with the passenger list generated after
closing check-ins is automatically carried out by the dedicated check-in
system. If a discrepancy exists after the verification, then it is most likely
that someone did not board or someone got on board the aircraft without
authorisation. Both situations pose a threat to the security of civil aviation,
therefore, measures should be taken immediately to find this person (missing or
additional). Wherein a passenger who has not arrived is not located and he or
she has checked baggage, then the ground handling agent has to locate such
baggage. It is not permissible for the baggage to be on board the aircraft
without its owner.
A crucial aspect for
safeguarding the security of civil aviation, mainly aimed at ensuring the
security of aircraft, is the procedure of pairing checked baggage with a
passenger who checked in for a given flight, as well as with the transfer and
transit of passengers. The baggage linkage procedure was first implemented at
airports after the terrorist’s bombings at Lockerbie in 1988.
The
baggage security procedure covers 5 stages. These are, respectively:
1) check-in done by the passenger,
2) sending the luggage to a luggage
sorting office,
3) check-in at the exit of the
passenger terminal (boarding gate),
4) verification of lost luggage in
the lost and found office,
5) verification by the load control
officers, as part of the service on the ramp.
Check-in for flight is
made personally by the passenger. The check-in procedure can be done online, at
the automatic check-in desk, in the KIOSK or in a traditional way, at the
check-in desk. However, baggage check-in can only be done at the check-in desk
at the airport, where the handling agent verifies the compliance of the data on
the airline ticket with the identity document (passport, ID card, appropriate
visas). In addition, the validity
of the identity documents is verified. The baggage check-in procedure includes
checking the weight, counting the pieces of luggage and noting the information
on the passenger's ticket, as well as sticking an automatically generated
appropriate baggage tag, which must contain information such as:
- name of the
passenger,
-
date,
-
reservation number,
-
number of pieces of luggage checked-in by the given person,
-
baggage number with a barcode,
-
flight route (including transit and destination airports),
-
booking class (which determines the priority).
The ground handling
agent is responsible for the entire process of generating the documentation
during the passenger’s check-in. In the case of incorrectly prepared
documents, this unit is obliged to destroy these documents.
Flight crews do not have
to check their luggage, they are allowed to take them on board the aircraft. However,
if crewmembers choose to hand over their baggage for check-in, it is subjected
to the same screening procedures for passengers.
Checked baggage after
its check-in, until it is loaded onto the aircraft, is under continuous and
strict protection by the handling staff and airport security service employees.
In the baggage centre, the checked baggage is counted and the number is
compared with the value received by the ground handling agents who were
responsible for the passengers’ and baggage’s checking in. As part
of the luggage security task, the relevant employees are required to check that
no additional item is misdirected to a batch of luggage intended for a specific
flight and that someone has not accidentally or intentionally placed anything
in the checked luggage, intended for reaching an aircraft (also during
transport from the sorting room to the aircraft’s board). Luggage in the
sorting room is secured against interference by third parties, by creating a
restricted access zone, as well as by carrying out security checks of employees
and people who seek access to the sorting room. If a piece of baggage is
located in the sorting room without the appropriate tag generated at the
check-in desk, it is sent back, for security reasons, it cannot be loaded onto
the aircraft’s board without information issued on tags.
Once it is determined
that the baggage is safe and can be loaded into the aircraft’s hold,
there is still a risk that it will be withdrawn and not transported on board
the aircraft. Such a situation may occur when the passenger who checked in the
luggage does not show up at the gate. Rather, in such situations, the ground
handling agents look for the "lost" passengers through megaphones, as
searching for a specific suitcase that belongs to a given person among a large
amount of luggage in a relatively small luggage compartment is quite
time-consuming. However, if a passenger misses his/her flight, the aircraft,
for security reasons, cannot perform air operations without the baggage owner;
therefore, the baggage is withdrawn from the air transport.
Carriers are also
obliged to take action in response to a crisis caused by, inter alia, an act of
unlawful interference, as well as to inform the relevant organisations and
institutions about such incidents. In the event of a threat or commission of an
act of unlawful interference on board an aircraft in flight, the pilot in
command of the aircraft is obliged to provide information about this fact to
the airport’s air traffic services units. Such information must be sent
to the air traffic management unit as well as others:
- security services at the destination
airport for the given aircraft,
- states whose airspace the aircraft is or
will be flying over,
- air security services.
The air traffic
management authority must take all necessary measures required to safely end an
affected aircraft of the threat in flight.
The organisational
elements of aircraft security include the cooperation of the appropriate
bodies, staffs and units. The services provided and activities performed by
them contribute to the maintenance of security and adequate protection of civil
aviation in the event of a threat or commission of acts classified as acts of
unlawful interference. Thus, it is important to appoint and provide (depending
on the situation, threat and circumstances) entities whose aim is to increase
security of the aircraft, such as:
- crisis management staff,
- crisis coordination centre,
- air marshals,
- police officers,
- officers of uniformed services.
Moreover, the aircraft
security system is strengthened by technical solutions. These solutions include
providing and following a sterile cockpit procedure, installing strong doors to
the cockpit, equipped with cameras and microphones, which allows to visually
and acoustically verify the person requesting access to the cockpit. For
security reasons, it is also strictly forbidden to bring passengers into the
pilot’s cabin.
5. CONCLUSIONS
There are many threats
capable of jeopardising the security of civil aviation. In legal documents,
these threats are called acts of unlawful interference. All acts of unlawful
interference are specified in Annex 17 “Safeguarding International Civil
Aviation Against Acts of Unlawful Interference” to
the Convention on International Civil Aviation. These acts in the field of
civil aviation may be committed mainly against airports and within aircraft.
They are considered as huge threats when committed against aircraft, as well as
on board aircraft. To avoid any situations exposing the security of aircraft,
there are implemented solutions on its boards, as well as are in force
procedures, which are directed at increasing security of civil aviation in
general.
To achieve the security
of aircraft, are introduced many procedures before the flight, during
aircraft’s parking, standing on the ground, layovers, as well as those
introduced by the airlines. For those procedures required by airlines to
increase the security of civil aviation, we count, among others, verification
of the passenger list, pairing checked luggage with passenger, taking action in
the case of dangerous passengers and passengers violating the conditions of air
transport, compliance with procedures for the transport of weapons and other
hazardous materials, refraining from attempting to transport items prohibited
to be transported by air, application of strictly defined procedures in the
event of a bomb threat, application of strictly defined procedures in the event
of a threat of committing any act of unlawful interference. In addition, there
are some technical solutions, implemented on board aircraft, such as strong
cockpit’s doors, equipped with cameras and microphones, which allows
identifying the person requesting access to the pilot’s cabin.
As observed, many
elements contribute to the aircraft security system. Some elements are closely related to the
airport security system, which is justified as these two systems interact with
each other and their dependence comes from the same goal, that is, ensuring
safety, security and adequate protection of civil aviation.
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Received 03.04.2021; accepted in revised form 29.05.2021
Scientific
Journal of Silesian University of Technology. Series Transport is licensed
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