Security in the air transport

Apart from the fact that it enables comfortable journeys to the most distanced corners of the Earth, the air transport is a huge industry branch remarkably influencing economic, political and social areas. Affecting this last one is particularily significant for effective development of countries, regions and industries. Without access to the air transport, economic progress is limited and in extreme cases impossible in many places in the world.

Demand for the majority of services – and in this regard the air transport is not here an exclusion – results from a will to satisfy desires and needs. Along with increasing demand for particular services, a high probability of negative consequences occurs. In terms of economy, they may be a result of not only a high supply but also of its excess.

Economic threats are one of many threats we need to expect in the air transport. Their other, most important category, are security threats. The most dangerous are: placement and detonation of explosives on an aircraft, illegal transport of dangerous materials, criminal acts such as smuggling and theft as well as sabbotage performed by the persons accessed to the aircraft.

Legal undertaken standards and numerous legislative initiatives in order to increase the passengers and air cargoes’ security include above all a program of a combination of the entire supply chain. Subsequently their protection will not be possible at every stage of a goods’ transport by air. In order to benefit from a secure supply chain, economic operators running air activity are commited to have the status of a regulated agent or known/recognized consignor.

Security and protection of the civil aviation cover more and more advanced protection technology including among other packages and containers, Explosive Detections Systems or biometric certificates of the employees’ identity and access control resistant to un unlawful interference.

Yet, benefiting from technological achievements will not replace a strict cooperation with the responsible subjects who, along with the ground and air handling, care about observance of appropriate security procedures in the air transport.