Aviation Security

Aviation Security: Transport Security Administration (by Diego Llorente) 

Aviation is one of the safest disciplines in the world. This concept is not only related to how an airplane fly, its airworthiness inspections, and the low number of accidents/incidents due to the number of daily flights that there is each day, but it is linked to many other factors such as safety from various points to avoid any consequences that include kidnapping, transportation of prohibited materials, non-legal personal travel, among many other things. In Aviation, to avoid some of the threats mentioned and many others, there is the important contribution of work carried out by the TSA. What is the function of the TSA? What is (Transport Security Administration)?

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security has authority over the safety of the public traveling in the United States. This body was created after the unfortunate event in aviation and humanity on September 11, 2001. The creation of this important body was with the objective of improving security procedures at airports and centralizing air travel security under a single federal agency. This means that aviation security increased from several points that will be analyzed shortly. On the other hand, if one wants to perform flights within The United States, this individual must register in the TSA system to perform flight training.

 

The TSA department has 20 integrated components, which we call security layers. These security capabilities are well implemented to work in a joint and integrated way to increase security. In airports, this can be seen with the naked eye as they are also difficult to identify in some respects. Its operation is professional and almost perfect so that transport systems are not only safe but armored against an adverse and incorrect threat in all aeronautical and humanitarian aspects. Llorente D. (2021) “Aviation is one of the safest means of transport thanks to the contribution of many people who work in the aviation sector. This includes ramp personnel, hygiene personnel, check-in personnel, pilots and crew, ATC, rebels, even members of the security or the TSA department. All of them oversee making aviation the safest and most reliable means in the world.” (p. 32 - Chap. 1)

It can be considered as one of the most serious and emerging threats to terrorism and drug or human trafficking. The TSA department has a very broad role to respect the 20 layers of security. In the first place, a job is carried out to investigate the people who wish to undertake a trip and thus avoid terrorist purposes. The TSA's goal is not just terrorism. But look for the person who undertakes the trip to be the one indicated with their legal documentation and the purpose of their trip and what they want to transport: One of the most novel aspects is that not only people work in the TSA department. Dogs are a fundamental element precisely to find drugs and prohibited elements. Drug trafficking is another emerging threat.

The scope and purpose of the TSA department are very broad but well defined. The duty to do well, provide security and about a transport system is safe and reliable. On the other hand, we must mention the Federal Air Marshal Service that works in conjunction with the TSA that is deployed on US aircraft and throughout the world to provide protection, response, detection, and evaluation at airports and other transportation systems. The FAM is known for an elite team called armed federal law enforcement officers deployed on passenger flights around the world to ensure safe travel and protect airline passengers and crew from criminal and terrorist violence. In Argentina, just to provide another example this department is called “Seguridad Aeroportuaria.”

To be specific, the creation of this department is very necessary and shows great signs of effectiveness where it becomes increasingly difficult for people to travel illegally and transport illegal items. Also, it is not as easy to carry out a terrorist act as it happened in September 2001. There are different layers such as Intelligence, Customs, and Border Protection, Joint Terrorism Task Force, No-Fly List, and Passenger Pre-Screening, Crew Vetting, Federal Air Marshal Marksmanship Training, VIPR, Canine and more which provide the highest level of security. This department was of great help for pandemic controls regarding COVID-19. The 20 security layers are very well implemented, reaching a point of being 95% effective in the event of a breach. People may violate some of these capabilities but for the most part in some of them, that person with intentions of illegality falls and will be judged according to his or her sentence.

In conclusion, talking about this type of operation, the possible error is human. 99% of air accidents and incidents are related to human error. In this situation occurs the same, I think that these departments (TSA) work in an excellent way and over the years and the examples have improved a lot. The recommendation is to intensify the controls and train people even more so that a possible error decreases because regarding the implementation mechanisms there is no objection from me. The mechanisms are correct, the strategies used in each of the security capabilities are excellent. There are not many aspects to object to. The only improvement will be to increase the number of people for some tasks and encourage constant training to seek greater effectiveness.

 

References

American Psychological Association. (2019). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association: 7th Edition, 2020 Copyright (Seventh ed.). American Psychological Association.

Inside Look: TSA Layers of Security | Transportation Security Administration. (2017, August 1). TSA. https://www.tsa.gov/blog/2017/08/01/inside-look-tsa-layers-security

Llorente, D. (2021). El sueño de ser piloto comercial: De América Latina a los Estados Unidos (Spanish Edition) (1st ed.). Editorial Autores de Argentina.