I have written before on the lax security measures at our airports and am dismayed that despite the breaches recently, the authorities have not bucked up as observed in my recent flight. I don't know how many of these procedures have already been implemented but if they have not, as a minimum, I propose the following (new) flight security measures:
1) A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) be set up with a full budget akin to what the US has. The personnel should be properly trained and selected based on competency only. Some of the tasks below can then be assigned to the DHS.
2) Airport security camera feeds should be selected at random, say at every 30 minute intervals and photographs of ALL (including staff of airports, airlines, vendors) be sent to the FBI’s database for a photo-fit check. Some terrorists can lie in wait, working as a vendor, for the right time to board a plane.
3) Chemical trace dusting be done at random at all entry points into airports on ALL entrants. This is long overdue.
4) X-ray machines be implemented and screening done at random at all entry points in airports. Men aged between 18 and 60 should be screened more than others.
5) Security personnel at the screening points be better trained to check all passengers for concealed items. If the sensor “beeps”, they should thoroughly pat them down, X-ray and dust these passengers. Make them go through the sensor gantry again after removing the items that triggered the alarm originally.
6) There should at least one armed marshal in each flight to ensure passenger / plane safety. The identity of this marshal should only be known to the pilot and airport security. This marshal should also be fitted with an “always on” microphone/camera.
7) All airplanes should be fitted with a tracking system that cannot be switched off manually. I heard on CNN today that this technology is readily available. Even better if the same type of cameras fitted to spaceships that transmit images real time to earth, be fitted on passenger planes and monitored real time from ground control.
8) Pilots should have a similar tracking device, perhaps an “always on” hidden microphone on their being so that cockpit sound is monitored real time.
9) I won’t comment too much on the pilots’ pre-flight testing as I’m sure their emotional and physical well-being are regularly tested. One idea I’m not averse to is to name the pilots on each flight (printed on the ticket?) so that a passenger can know their names before flying rather than during the in-flight announcement. Crowd sussing is a powerful tool and cannot be underestimated.
10) Of course, all the above measures would only work as intended if the the ground personnel tasked with monitoring them, do not sleep on their jobs. Best to have a shift of three people so that at least one is awake during the red-eye shift.
I hope somebody in authority is reading this post and considers my suggestions seriously.
1) A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) be set up with a full budget akin to what the US has. The personnel should be properly trained and selected based on competency only. Some of the tasks below can then be assigned to the DHS.
2) Airport security camera feeds should be selected at random, say at every 30 minute intervals and photographs of ALL (including staff of airports, airlines, vendors) be sent to the FBI’s database for a photo-fit check. Some terrorists can lie in wait, working as a vendor, for the right time to board a plane.
3) Chemical trace dusting be done at random at all entry points into airports on ALL entrants. This is long overdue.
4) X-ray machines be implemented and screening done at random at all entry points in airports. Men aged between 18 and 60 should be screened more than others.
5) Security personnel at the screening points be better trained to check all passengers for concealed items. If the sensor “beeps”, they should thoroughly pat them down, X-ray and dust these passengers. Make them go through the sensor gantry again after removing the items that triggered the alarm originally.
6) There should at least one armed marshal in each flight to ensure passenger / plane safety. The identity of this marshal should only be known to the pilot and airport security. This marshal should also be fitted with an “always on” microphone/camera.
7) All airplanes should be fitted with a tracking system that cannot be switched off manually. I heard on CNN today that this technology is readily available. Even better if the same type of cameras fitted to spaceships that transmit images real time to earth, be fitted on passenger planes and monitored real time from ground control.
8) Pilots should have a similar tracking device, perhaps an “always on” hidden microphone on their being so that cockpit sound is monitored real time.
9) I won’t comment too much on the pilots’ pre-flight testing as I’m sure their emotional and physical well-being are regularly tested. One idea I’m not averse to is to name the pilots on each flight (printed on the ticket?) so that a passenger can know their names before flying rather than during the in-flight announcement. Crowd sussing is a powerful tool and cannot be underestimated.
10) Of course, all the above measures would only work as intended if the the ground personnel tasked with monitoring them, do not sleep on their jobs. Best to have a shift of three people so that at least one is awake during the red-eye shift.
I hope somebody in authority is reading this post and considers my suggestions seriously.
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