Advancing security
Security has been a concern for civil aviation authorities for several decades because aircraft are targets for terrorism. Events such as the Lockerbie bombing, the terrorist attacks in the United States on 11 September 2001, and the cargo plane bomb plot have had more far-reaching consequences than the single events. Effective security measures are in place in and around airports but can constrain the efficiency of airport operations and the air transport system by increasing travel time, reducing travel convenience, and adding to airport operating costs. The challenge is to increase air security and so further reduce vulnerability to external threat while minimising disruption and delay to passenger and freight movement.