Securing the aviation transportation system

Abstract

The vulnerability of the Aviation Transportation System was once again highlighted on September 11, 2001. Hijacking was not a new phenomenon in aviation; it erupted in the late 1960s, hijackers used commercial airliners for transportation to Cuba. The hijack incidents slowly became more violent. Aviation security legislation and measures were championed after each major aviation hijack incident, but they were not always fully implemented. What was the status of aviation security leading up to 9/11? Have the improvements made to the Aviation Transportation System since 9/11 made the system less vulnerable? This thesis presents a comparative study of domestic aviation security measures applied to commercial passenger aviation. Security initiatives, the implementation of those initiatives, and security policies both pre and post 9/11 are described and examined in an effort to determine if the domestic Aviation Transportation System is more secure now than it was prior to September 11.