Securing Our Airports

 

Every day, airports and their employees work to ensure the security of the traveling public. Working with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and the airlines, airports help to maintain a multi-layered security regime that helps to protect travelers from terrorist and criminal activities. 

 

Changes to Security Post 9/11 Terrorist Attacks

Following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Congress created the TSA.

Security is the responsibility of TSA, airports, and airlines.

The TSA is responsible for:

  1. Screening all passengers, carry-on and checked baggage.
  2. Assessing threats to transportation.
  3. Overseeing the implementation, and ensuring the adequacy of security measures at airports.

 

Airports are responsible for:
  1. Adopting and carrying out security programs that provide for the safety and security of persons and property.
  2. Providing law enforcement support.
  3. Preventing unauthorized access to secured areas.

 

Airlines are responsible for:

 

  1. Security of their aircraft.
  2. In many cases at the larger airports, airlines may be responsible for security of their own terminals, work areas, and other facilities such as cargo and maintenance hangers.
  3. Training their employees and contractors on security-related duties.

 

FAA remains responsible for its own facilities, although there is coordination with TSA.

 


Background Checks for Airport Employees

  1. Criminal history record checks are required for all employees.
  2. No individual is allowed unescorted access to restricted areas without the background check.
  3. TSA rules also require airport employees to undergo an additional background investigation, known as a security threat assessment.


Airport Security Areas

  1. U.S. commercial airports are divided into different restricted areas with varying levels of security. Individual airport operators determine the boundaries for each of these areas on a case-by-case basis, depending upon the physical layout of the airport.
  2. Sterile areas in terminal buildings are areas beyond the TSA passenger screening checkpoints, where passengers board and deplane aircraft.  Generally, only ticketed passengers and airport employees with authorization can enter this area.

  3. Public areas are any location outside the retricted areas of the airport where a person may go freely, such as the baggage claim and ticket counter locations.


General Aviation Airports

  1. Small airports without scheduled commercial service do not have the same regulatory requirements as commercial airports.
  2. Most small airports implement TSA-endorsed best-practice guidelines for airport and aircraft security.

 

 

Compiled by Christopher R. Bidwell (cbidwell@aci-na.org)

ACI-NA’s Vice President, Security and Facilitation

and

Lydia Kellogg (lkellogg@aci-na.org)

ACI-NA’s Senior Manager, Public Safety and Security


Need more information?

For more detailed airport security information on this website. 

For more detailed airport safety information on this website. 

 

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