Aviation Safety and crisis management

1) Pre 9/11 we can distinguish four phases:

a. 1930 – 1960: The first 30 years of commercial aviation:

 Security measure:
1. Has the luggage been out of your immediate control?
2. Has anyone asked you to carry an item on this flight?
b. 1960 – 1980: The early Jet age
 Security measure:
1. Screening of passengers and bags for high-risk flights
2. Hijacker-profiling started.
3. Metal detectors were introduced.
4. Protection of Airfield from unlawful interference.
5. If A/C hijacked – keep it on ground and apply special
negotiation techniques.
c. 1980 – 1990: Aviation Security Policies are set
 Security measure:
1. Flight crew should be trained in emergency safety and security
operations.
2. Flight crew should be trained in crisis management during
hostage or security incident.
d. 1990 – 2001: A false sense of security
 Security measure
1. No liquids on board
2. Force people to check-in more bags instead of carry-on
luggage

2) Reasons for hijacking during the “Early Jet age”:

a. Political asylum
b. Release of prisoners

3) After the bomb attack at BRU airport in 2016, the lessons learned were:
a. Increase in Surveillance and Monitoring
 High-definition cameras
 Facial recognition
b. Use of screening technology for both passengers and baggage at entry points
to landside areas.
c. Physical security measures
 Deploy physical barriers, such as vehicle checkpoints, to prevent
unauthorized vehicle access to crowded areas.
d. Security training and drills
 Training programs for airport staff were enhanced, with a focus on
recognizing and responding to security threats. Regular drills and
 exercises helped ensure that personnel were well-prepared for
emergencies.

To increase security for staff and pax at the landside area of an airport:

a) Access control: limit entry to landside areas only to authorized personnel.

b) Deploy high-definition cameras and advanced surveillance technologies to monitor
landside areas effectively.
c) Increase public awareness of security measures and encourage passengers and
staff to report suspicious activities.
d) Conduct regular inspections of vehicles and their contents, especially those entering
crowded areas.
e) Use advanced screening technologies, such as body scanners and explosive
detection systems, to detect potential threats.
f) Implement randomized security measures to prevent predictability and make it more
challenging for potential attackers to plan and execute attacks.

4) Safety refers to a state in which the possibility of harm to person or of property

damage is reduced to, and maintained at or below, an acceptable level through a
continuing process of hazard identification and safety risk management.

5) To increase safety awareness in staff:

a. Safety training programs

b. Continuous learning
c. CRM
d. Safety briefing and communications
e. Scenario based training
f. Emergency response drills

6) In hazard identification process, hazards can be detected

a. Reactive – Past oriented
b. Pro-active – Present oriented
c. Predictive – Future oriented

7) IOSA: IATA Operational Safety Audit

8) Accident – An occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft which takes

place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight until
such time as all such persons have disembarked, in which:

a. A person is fatally or seriously injured as a result of:

 being in the aircraft
 Direct contact with any part of the aircraft, including parts which
have become detached from the aircraft.
 Direct exposure to jet blast, except when injuries are from natural
causes, self-inflicted by other persons, or when the injuries are to
 stowaways hiding outside the areas normally available to the
passengers and crew.
b. The aircraft sustains damage or structural failure which:
 adversely affects the structural strength, performance or flight
characteristics of the aircraft, and would normally require major
repair or replacement of the affected component.
 Except for engine failure or damage, when the damage is limited to
engine, its cowlings or accessories; or for damage limited to
propellers, wing tips, antennas, tires, brakes, fairings, small dents or
puncture holes in the aircraft skin.
c. The aircraft is missing or is completely inaccessible.

9) People who can be involved and affected by an accident:

a. Passengers
b. Crew members
c. Ground staff
d. Airline
e. Airport
f. Air Navigation Service providers
g. Family members of passengers
h. Emergency services
i. Fire department
j. Local authorities
k. Insurance companies
l. Investigative authorities

10) Authorities-to-citizen communication:

a. This is the classical mode of “broadcasting” using radio and TV in the good
old times.
b. Authorities take some time to adopt social media.
c. Much faster than classic communication through established authority website (like
City of LA Fire Department).
d. But takes a lot of effort in maintaining the actuality of the information.
e. Crisis communications need structuring by setting up specific Twitter hashtags.
f. Barriers of collaboration with aid organizations: limited resources, management of
volunteers, different levels of engagement and different ways of working.

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