Aviation Security Development Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Aviation Security Development - Research Paper Example The responsibility of the act’s implementation is shared among airlines and airports. The airports’ responsibility is to ensure that only those who have authorized access to the airfield can get in. the responsibility of airlines under ASIA is to screen passengers and baggage. Most airlines normally contract the services of private security companies to carry out the screenings. Under the Airports Security Improvement Act, it is the responsibility of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to regulate the overall activities of airports, security companies and airlines. A shift has occurred on the emphasis and need of aviation security as a response to emerging incidences in the recent past (Elias, 2009). ASIA was passed into law in an effort to accelerate the development of an efficient Explosive Detection System (EDS) as a means of enhancing security in airports and airlines. According to Price and Forrest (2008, p14), the Security Act also required FAA to certify th e EDS that could â€Å"alone or as part of an integrated system detect under realistic air carrier operating conditions the amounts, configurations, and types of explosives which would be likely to be used to cause catastrophic damage to commercial aircraft.† This means that the EDS that were certified had to have mechanisms that could detect the slightest portions of explosives in passengers and their luggage. Explosive Detecting Systems (EDS) Explosive Detection Systems are machines that have been design to work like MRIs. EDS machines are used to analyze the contents of passengers bags before they board an airplane. The explosion of the Pan Am flight in Scotland could have been avoided had there been effective explosives’ detection mechanisms in place at the airport. The explosion was caused by a minimal amount of semtex which is highly explosive plastic. The semtex was well hidden in a cassette recorder that had been packed in a travel suitcase. After this incident , all airlines were required to purchase advanced machines that could detect explosives (Price and Forrest, 2008). The best at this time was the Thermal Neutron Analysis (TNA) machine which was not effective enough to detect certain levels of explosives such as the one that caused the Pan Am flight to crush. Another problem of TNA machines was that they were quite expensive, cumbersome and too heavy. The ineffectiveness of these machines is what led to the development of explosive detection systems. EDS machines work by blowing or wiping a piece of cloth over a passenger or baggage in order to detect the smallest amounts of explosive residue (National Security Council, 1996). The use of EDS has been approved for the following reasons: To increase the resistance of aircraft to bomb blasts. EDS machines have the ability to detect very minute amounts of explosive residues, even when they are very well hidden. Since most bombs are made using explosive materials, EDS can be used to detec t and find them before they can make their way into aircrafts (General Accounting Office, 1994). The use of EDS is also approved a means of ensuring maximum security at airports. These systems are very effective in the detection of explosive material that can cause a security nightmare in airports and aircrafts (Elias, 2009). By making use of the detection machines, would be terrorists and other people with ill intentions will think twice before bringing anything that is considered insecure in