FED UP WITH SECURITY?

Basically, airline travel took a very severe turn for the worse in 1970, when Leila Khaled high-jacked a Boeing 707 belonging to El Al, the Israeli airline. This armed intervention occurred in British airspace and the aircraft was eventually landed safely and she was arrested. Sadly this ghastly experience slowly grew into a habit that was popular with a variety of terrorist groups, mainly grouped in the Middle East. Counter measures had then to be taken to ensure passenger safety. The worst demonstration was when three aircraft suffered armed intervention by Palestinian terrorists in the September of 1970 and all were flown to Dawson field in Jordan and blown up. This frightening episode underlined the need for serious action to be taken as quickly as possible.

Security for passengers, aircraft, freight and flying crews had to be secured. Procedures for passengers are tiresome, especially as an industry based on the use of speed had to slow down. The best equipment had to be installed and staff to monitor it had to be trained. Airport security had to be strengthened with secure fencing and armed police were on continuous duty at airport terminals.

In addition, aircraft had to have a secure area established around them on the ground.This is a 24-hour job for ever. Passenger baggage had to be reconciled with the passenger and boarding checks had to establish the passengers checked had all boarded. Security screens to ensure all people checked into airside locations were also required and all staff had to wear valid identity cards. To bring all this together, vast sums of money had to be invested by either Government, the airport authorities, the police and inevitably the taxpayer. This is a brief skim and explanation in part of some of the things that had to be introduced to secure safe air travel. Entry doors to the flight deck had to be strong and kept locked as well.

So the next time you grumble at check-in just bear in mind what has to be achieved before you reclaim your baggage. Security is a hard and boring job and mistakes can and will happen but all of us sadly cannot afford not to do our bit to help,

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