Abstract This paper discusses what went wrong on 9/11 in relation to aviationsecurity, the larger problems surrounding what went wrong, as well as the steps that have been taken since in an effort to prevent any such future actions by terrorists. The paper relates that the investigations that followed 9/11 made a startling discovery- there was a dire need to take a closer look at the U.S. Transportation Security Agency, the U.S. governmental agency responsible for maintaining security in American airports and for ensuring the safety of commercial flights.
Outline:
Introduction
September 11, 2001-The Climax of the Problem
The United States Transportation Security Agency
United States Air Marshalls
The New Model of AviationSecurity Conclusion
From the Paper "Virtually from the moment that the first plane struck the side of one of the World Trade Center buildings, federal, state and local authorities were mobilized not only to aid the immediate victims of the attacks and to maintain order/defend the homeland, but also to evaluate what was taking place and why. Early, most likely immediately in the evaluation, one point became abundantly clear- there was a new form of terrorist present in the world, targeting the US and other nations. This type of terrorist was also using a most unconventional weapon-rather than using massive firearms and nuclear weapons, these enemies used small, concealed knives and brute force to turn airplanes full of fuel into high powered firebombs (Cordesman, 2002). The simplicity of the weapons and the ease with which the terrorists, who turned out to be known as possible threats to the US gained passage on commercial flights certainly made it abundantly clear that somewhere along the way, aviation security was coming up short."
Tags: Transportation, Security, Agency, World, Trade, Center
Abstract This paper explains that, using content analysis to test the hypothesis surrounding aviationsecurity, two press releases from the Government Accountability Office website were examined for common terms and references to aviationsecurity measures. The author points out that this methodology focused on how the communications referred to aviationsecurity and how frequently mention was made of changes in specific responses to the September 11 attacks. The author relates that this analysis identified that aviationsecurity was breached due to inherent flaws in the system. The paper states that content analysis revealed that the current decentralized system with different parties responsible for various elements of aviationsecurity is not optimal. The author stresses that terrorism is seen as unethical and politically illegitimate because its political aim is to kill the innocent. The paper includes a table and a graph.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Scope of the Study and the Uses of Content Analysis
Weaknesses of the AviationSecurity: Using Content Analysis to Identify Trends
AviationSecurity Current Position and Challenges Ahead: Content Analysis as a Prediction Mechanism
Conclusion
From the Paper "The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lax security measures, that had individuals who did not undergo background checks accessing and breaching the security of the air traffic control computer systems. Dillingham also identified that the FAA did not assess and accredit the air traffic control computer systems, perform the appropriate risk assessments to ensure that the computer system that was central to the aviation system was protected, nor did the FAA establish and implement any comprehensive security program."
Abstract This paper provides a research analysis into aviationsecurity pre and post 9/11. It examines the threat of terrorist activity from an aviation standpoint and looks at the ease with which terrorism can occur in the aviation industry. The paper suggests that aviationsecurity is something that has not yet been accepted enough to ensure that a high percentage of individuals actually take their security jobs seriously. The paper also looks at possible solutions to the problem.
Table of Contents:
Chapter One - Introduction
Background
Statement of the Problem
Purpose of the Study
Importance of the Study
Scope of the Study
Rationale for the Study
Chapter Two - Review of Related Literature
Chapter Three - Methodology
Research Design
Population and Sample
Collection and Tabulation of Data
Data Analysis Procedure
Limitations of the Study
Chapter Four - Data Analysis
Chapter Five - Summary, Recommendations, and Conclusion
From the Paper "It is impossible for many to understand how critics can say that freedom had nothing to do with the terrorist attacks when the evidence so clearly shows that it did. It has been over six years since the terrorist attacks, and many Americans no longer live in fear. This is important, because life is not much if one is constantly afraid. However, many Americans have gone back to feeling that they are safe again. They do not take much interest in the government's suggested safety kit for terrorism. Some do not do it because they do not think it will do any good anyway, but others do not do it because they do not feel it will ever be necessary. One can only hope that they are correct, but it seems as though once again they believe that living in America protects them from harm. It is sad to see how quickly they have forgotten the lessons that they learned on September 11th."
Abstract This paper examines the issue of aviationsecurity following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Two communications in the form of press releases from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) are examined and analyzed to show that aviationsecurity after September 11, 2001 has significantly improved and changed, following the necessary policies that have been put in place. The paper identifies and outlines the changes that have been put in place and provides an objective analysis of the new policy changes after September 11, 2001, so as to use the content analysis to test the hypothesis surrounding aviationsecurity. The paper includes a table showing examples of direct and indirect economic losses from September 11, and a pie chart using content analysis to identify trends regarding the weaknesses of aviationsecurity.
From the Paper "Aviation security relies heavily on the skill and expertise of personnel. The FAA and aviation industry have realized that there needs to be a reevaluation of airport personnel with specific focus on improving workers aptitudes, increased training, minimize turnover, and better wages GAO, 2006, 1). Dillingham stated that the FAA was implementing a number of actions and plans that addressed these issues directly; they included the development of an integrated action plan, certification programs which enhance training, and the use of machinery to help increase productivity. Most of these activities have post September 11 implementation dates. TSA training has also increased and changed form after September 11. Major elements of the change include forty (40) hours of classroom instruction and sixty (60) hours of on-the-job training, annual proficiency review of screeners, and establishing a basic screener training program, (Berrick, 2006, p 5). Again, these policy changes support the hypothesis being examined."
Abstract In this paper, the writer investigates the many factors, including operator training, law enforcement personnel's presence, and physical presence, that affect the effectiveness and performance of the aviationsecurity systems. The paper reveals that a critical constituent of the nation's physical infrastructure, overall security and economic foundation lies in the safety and security of the civil aviation system of the nation. The paper then takes a look at the measures recommended to reform the aviationsecurity system in the US and describes how the various measures have impacted the airports.
From the Paper "One of the main reasons for the decline in the performance level of screeners is the high turnover rate among the screeners- this rate was greater than even 100 percent a year at many of the large airports, mainly due to limited benefits, low wages and the work being of a monotonous and repetitive nature. The current system has got inherent weaknesses in which the screening of passengers and controlling access to the secured areas are the responsibility of the airline. Questions have been raised whether they should consider alternative approaches"
Abstract This paper discusses the improved security measures that have been implemented in aviationsecurity since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, as well as the unresolved security issues that remain regarding passenger safety and privacy. In particular, the paper looks at employee training, scanner accuracy, intrusiveness of scanners and human screeners, and the use of air marshals. The paper also includes suggestions for measures that would improve aviationsecurity.
From the Paper "A recent report by the United States Department for Homeland Security (Stone) argues that staff who operate airport security screening devices are not receiving sufficient training. The report also states that operators are not being trained to handle deadly weapons and are not trained on passenger rights. Screeners are not trained on how to read airline tickets, when to pat down passengers and how to search animals and their cages. Furthermore, a study by McCarley and colleagues showed that screeners identify more contraband items with greater experience (McCarley et al.), which further demonstrates the magnitude of this problem. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is responsible for training airport security screeners. The TSA is currently examining employee training and states that modifications will soon follow."
Abstract This essay will discuss and analysis the problems facing North American aviationsecurity and argue that both airlines and government are responsible for these issues since the problem is not singular in nature but affects many areas of human life, economic and political. In this sense, there have to be certain shared regulations that are mapped out and agreed upon if a real prevention is to be collectively agreed upon and instituted.
Abstract This paper describes the weaknesses in aviationsecurity in the United States and looks at how the government is failing to do its part to improve the security. The paper describes legislation concerning aviationsecurity that has passed and, while noting the positive direction of these measures, the paper points out that the delays in implementing these measures threaten the safety of the airlines.
From the Paper "After the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States of America, airline security has become one of the most prominent safety issues within the country and also abroad. Indeed, specific organizations and strategies have been implemented in order to ensure the safety of aircraft for passengers and for the country as a whole. One of these is the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA), an organization specifically concerned with airline security issues and the implementation of safety measures (Air Safety Week, 2003). Critics have however suggested that the government has been in denial regarding the danger and shortcomings inherent in safety and security measures for commercial airlines."
Abstract This paper addresses the subject of business ethics in the field of aviation, as well as emphasizes the effects of September 11 on the aviation industry. Through discussing the responsibilities each part of the aviation industry has toward air travel, this paper provides a clear analysis of why enhanced business ethics concerning safety and security are of utmost importance. The paper compares security features before September 11 with those after the tragedy, in an effort to determine how they have improved and what they are still lacking. In addition, it discusses the rights of aviation employees, shareholders and passengers to determine which security and business procedures are safe and which are invasive.
From the Paper "Prior to Sept. 11, the Air Transport Association, a representative for major airlines, and the Regional Airline Association, a trade group for smaller carriers, published the main security guide for airlines. This Checkpoint Operations Guide was designed to implement Federal Aviation Administration security regulations.
However, prohibiting box cutters on airplanes was an industry requirement, not a government one. The FAA actually allowed airline passengers to carry blades less than four inches long before Sept. 11.
However, airlines often did not invest the time or money before Sept. 11 to check passengers completely. In addition, according to Rep. John Mica, chairman of the House Transportation subcommittee on aviation, the FAA did have strict guidelines for screening standards in place (Salant). This combination was a recipe for disaster."
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses that with rising fuel prices and terrorism as a backdrop, many of the world's major commercial airlines have filed bankruptcy, blaming the additional costs of fuel and security measures for their demise. The writer notes however, that this is not the case with every airline, which leads to interesting subject matter to validate an issue position. In this paper, the researcher validates the issue position that the economic collapse of many major airlines has not been caused by fuel and security, but rather by flaws in the typical commercial aviation business model. This position is justified by the citation of relevant literature and logical conclusions drawn from the research of same. The writer concludes that the aviation industry needs to continually strive for excellence if it is to avoid its own self-fulfilling prophecy.
Outline:
Presentation of Position
Commercial Aviation Still Holds Potential for Success
Modern Success Stories Exist
Current Events in Commercial Aviation Bankruptcies are commonplace
Bankruptcies are Caused by Several Common Factors
Success Stories in Commercial Aviation India's Aviation Renaissance
Low Cost Aviation Model
Proof of Position
Closing Thoughts
From the Paper "The commercial aviation industry is chock full of an inordinate number of bankruptcies, with hundreds occurring over the past several decades. These events had been blamed on a wide variety of factors over the years. Over the last 6 months, there has been another rash of bankruptcies, which are currently being blamed on the excess costs of the security measures needed to protect commercial flights from terrorist infiltration and the rising cost of fuel, with sources reporting that the industry can only realistically pass 10% of the additional expenses on to the consumer for a variety of reasons."
An argument that the Bush Administration's War on Terror is wasting trillions of dollars on security measures that are not protecting the United States.
Abstract The paper argues that the lead domestic counter-terrorism agency is not properly structured for its role, the conduct of the war in Iraq undermined any hope of success in the pursuit of Osama bin Laden, there is no focus on the real risk of nuclear terrorism while the current efforts directed at securing commercial aviation represent a misallocation of resources and have not substantially eliminated the risks of terrorist threats against commercial aviation. The paper contends that much of the approach to national security and the so-called "War on Terror" lead by President George W. Bush is far better designed to fight America's last war than the most likely scenario of the nation's next war.
Outline:
Introduction
Fighting Past Wars Instead of Future Wars
Fundamental Conceptual Flaws in the Current Approach to American Security Misallocation of Authority, Insufficient Interagency Coordination, and Politics
Conclusion
From the Paper "The historic and tragic attacks of September 11, 2001 changed the course of American history for the foreseeable future. One of the most comprehensive changes was the immediate elevation of national security to the primary government concern at every level. It directly inspired the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the appointment of a cabinet-level director at its head, along with the complete reconfiguration of more than a dozen federal agencies and the establishment of joint terrorism task forces between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies nationwide. Unfortunately, despite the intense focus on homeland security, the role of lead in that effort was assigned to a domestic agency never designed, and therefore, largely unsuitable for that role in the first place (Larsen, 2007)."
Abstract This report examines the roots of terrorism and the changes that came in the wake of the September 11th attacks. It provides an interesting perspective upon how aviationsecurity was structured before and after the attacks. With the threat of terrorist activity increasing, the interest of many citizens is geared towards the actions taken to enhance security, both foreign and domestic. Great measures in airport security can be found in Section 4 of the report. In it, many of the post-September 11th, hi-tech gadgets are outlined. With terrorism constantly changing to counteract security measures, the need for follow-up investigations is vital. With the cumulative knowledge of past strategies of terrorism and precedent security changes, analysis of that research allows for the formation of conclusions. These conclusions can, in turn, be related to policy.
From the Paper "One huge international aviation organization is the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). "This is the aviation wing of the United Nations. With their head quarters in Montreal, Canada, the ICAO is the forefront of international aviation rule-making" (Wilkinson 83). "When airborne terrorism started becoming an issue, ICAO was the first to create standards and recommend practices to deter a terrorist threat. The ICAO is comprised of a tiered committee structure" (Jenkins 84). It is made up of 185 member states and was born in Chicago after the appropriate number of states ratified the treaty. The aviation security panel actually is the body which publishes international standards (mandatory) and recommended practices that all member states to put into effect within their respective airlines."
Abstract The paper discusses the cry for "doing whatever it takes" to guarantee American citizens' safety and security and to prevent a similar terrorist act from recurring in the United States in the highly emotional aftermath of September 11th. In the process, calls are being made for special exemptions and greater liberty for the government to interfere into the private affairs of the citizens in the name of stopping any future terrorist conspiracies. The author shows that what is too easily forgotten is that it is a much easier process to give away and lose ones individual liberty than it is to get it back once power has been transferred to the political authority, and that the freedoms that one may lose in the present emergency are likely to remain lost to a great degree for long after the urgency has past. The paper studies, in particular, the strengthened security in the aviation field.
From the Paper "In the months following the attacks, security was stepped up within flight schools, but the typical profile was that of an Arab national. This left the general aviation industry stunned when 15 year old Charles Bishop flew a Cessna 172 into a building, in an apparent copycat incident in January 2002. Bishop, who had taken flight lessons for two years, had gone to the private-plane section of the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, accompanied by his mother and grandmother. His instructor left him at the plane to perform a preflight inspection, authorities said. (3) Because he was under 16 (the legal age to fly solo) he had no authority to get in the plane alone, and was required to have an instructor with him. In the aftermath of this incident, the FAA has made recommendations to FBOs to help strengthen security. Of the 11 recommendations outlined by FAA on Jan. 9, nine are nothing more than common sense."
Abstract The following paper outlines US aviation gun laws as they existed prior to 9/11 and how they stand today in the age of Homeland Security and global terrorism. The paper then examines the legal issues involved in changing America's gun aviation laws in the aftermath of the brutal attacks of 9/11. From there, the paper looks carefully at how the transformation of America's aviation gun laws profoundly changed the traveling experience of ordinary Americans. Finally, this paper summarizes the pertinent legal issues and it will conclude with an explication of why the recently-enacted gun laws are not only permissible, but entirely desirable.
Abstract After the devastating effects of September 11th, airline and airport security are paramount to most American travelers. The paper begins with a brief history of aviationsecurity before examining what the American government is doing to enhance security today. The paper examines what the Federal Grant Program to Strengthen Aircraft Security entails and addresses additional changes such as the take-over of airport security by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
From the Paper "So why was airport security so poor and why has it been under constant scrutiny by the public and the FAA? Even before the terrorist attacks on September 11th, the airport security industry was troubled. Airport security companies were forced to work under a vicious cycle of economic forces that it could not control. Airlines, in order to save money, have commonly gone with the lowest bidder. In order to win these contracts, security companies paid a lower wage to its employees. Sometimes the old adage of you get what you pay for is true. Security staff workers at airports received little training and had limited backgrounds in the field of security. Most had no security background at all. (Boyne) This type of inert protection may have worked well in the 1970's when threat of a non-violent, non-suicidal hijacker with a metal weapon was involved."
