Threats and Security Measures at International Airports - Dissertation Example

Along with criminal threats, airport security is threatened by accidental threats such as short-circuiting, fire outbreak, gas leakage, fuel leakage, natural disaster and much more. All the measures that are taken for airport security are for the safety of people, the premises and aircraft. Airport security is not the problem of any one country or state but the problem of all countries. Airport security is an important issue because a large number of people have to visit airports for traveling purposes, entertainment, booking, employment and information gathering due to which, airports are crowded by thousands of people on daily basis.

When a large number of people have to visit airports on daily basis, these places come under different kinds of threats that should be dealt attentively and considerately as the lives and possessions of people are at stake. In the United States, the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) has concentrated on trying to enhance the security in aviation for two years since the passing of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA). This was done by employing advanced screening procedures among baggage and passengers.

  The act also comprises of provisions ordering TSA to make initiatives for enhancing the security of the airport facilities, access controls of computer systems and the workers of the airport.  In line with the aggravating situation of terrorist scare, the General Accounting Office (GAO) was tasked to take charge of evaluating the efforts of TSA in the following: (1) assessing the security of the airport facilities and the access control that regulate the admission to secured areas of the airport; (2) assisting the airports in the implementation and improvement of the security in the airport facilities and access control by giving financial assistance and technical support; and (3)  employing actions to lessen the possibility of risk in security caused by airport employees (GAO, 2004).

Some of the findings of GAO helped in the recognition of dangers in airport facilities and security in access controls in all of the airports inspected. There were also some attempts to formulate new measures of identifying how to evaluate, endorse and prioritize funding of security projects.  Nevertheless, difficulties arose in the TSA’s administration of these programs.