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Airport Security
Security is one of the important aspects that help people to continue with their daily activities well. Airports are among the places that receive many visitors and are prone to security threat. Therefore, airport security becomes an essential priority for any government (Aghahowa Allen and Enoma 103). Airport security involves methods and techniques employed to protect staffs, passengers, and aircrafts from harm, accidents, or any other threats. With varied reactions and arguments elicited on the need to have airport security or not, strong airport security is essential for all countries across the globe.
Many people use airports on daily basis and it is important to safeguard their security. Airports are targets of criminals and terrorist groups (Aghahowa Allen and Enoma 104). Terrorist cases can be deterred by ensuring that the airports are well guarded. Airports act as exit and as well entrance points to different people and products. Without proper security, prohibited products can easily get in or leave a country, putting the people at risk (Dennis 30). For instance, some of the products that are not acceptable in some airports include knives, firearms, hammers and ammunition, while those prohibited for lifetime include gunpowder, smoke flares, fire extinguishers and fireworks, controlled drugs, torch lighters, hand grenades and ivory among many others. The movement of these products is guarded by the presence of security. Transportation of products like ivory occurs in airports if sufficient security measures are not in place. Thus, this leads to an increase in cases of illegal poaching of wildlife, which affects the economy of a country. Drug trafficking happens through airports in many countries. Therefore, tight security helps reduce such incidents. Drug barons have continued to make huge profits and cause a lot of damage to the people through drug trafficking. By ensuring that there are adequate measures at the airport, these types of cases are curbed.
Staffs operating at the airports require sufficient security to be comfortable and to serve the passengers well. The staffs will not be in a position to carry out their tasks in absence of guaranteed security (Aghahowa Allen and Enoma 103). Aircraft security must be guaranteed to avoid being misused by criminals like terrorists.
Airport security is required to prevent harm as well as to support the national security. National security is normally exhibited in how facilities such as airports are secured. Any acts of insecurity or terrorist attack that happen in airport threatens national security. Citizens will not expect acts of terrorism and other forms of crimes to occur in the airports they believe to be secure (Kenny 1). Citizen’s confidence in the national security system fades away in an event of such attacks. This also sends out a negative signal to international countries and partners who question the capability of the country to provide sufficient security for them. Therefore, it has immense ramifications. One of the effects is the tendency to reduce the number of visitors that come to a country. This means that the government will not be able to accrue revenue. It also deters many potential visitors from visiting insecure countries for fear of attacks. This leads to the fact that reduction in the revenues generated as foreign exchange is not earned and businesses are affected. The people are also affected as they will be taxed more to generate revenue for the government. Therefore, the effects are vicious as they cut across various facets of peoples’ lives.
Many incidents of insecurity that have happened across the world indicate the need for high level of security in the airports (Kenny 1). Cases of insecurity at the airports date back in 1970s where terrorists attacked and killed passengers indiscriminately. One of such attacks was on the Cabana Flight 455. The attackers who were onboard brought down the plane. It was fatal as an estimate of 73 people succumbed to death. The attack occurred in the year 1976. Another incident that resulted from lapses in airport security was the bomb attack that killed 329 people on the Air India Flight 182 in the year 1985. In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed leading to 270 deaths. Many other cases of terrorist attacks have happened across the world, leaving scores of people dead and huge damages. The most remembered and recent case is the September 11 attack that occurred in New York on World Trade Center and on the Pentagon in Virginia in 2001 (Kenny 1). This was an attack perpetrated by the Al Qaeda members. A 19-member group of terrorists hijacked four planes at the U.S. eastern coast which they used to execute their terror attacks. These attacks caused huge damage and deaths of many innocent people. In the attack, the fourth plane, which was destined to attack another destination crashed on its way to Pennsylvania. This September U.S. attack caused death totaling to around 3000 people consisting of the hijackers and the civilians (Kenny 1). This has remained to be the most fatal and severe accident that involved lapses in the airport security. Therefore, these terrorist attacks around the world demonstrate the reason why airport security is required. The security operatives need to train well and to be equipped to handle different cases of criminals. In some of these cases, security operatives are caught unexpectedly leading to the terror attacks on innocent people in the airports and onboard. Cases of hijacking and passengers being held hostage have been on the rise in the past, and this is attributed to lapses in the security machinery.
Therefore, the magnitude to which lapses in airport security can cause harm are clear illustrations that the airports should be given tight security with sophisticated machines and instruments to detect the attackers and criminals. These are the reasons why the question of doing away of airport security is not worthy in this age and time.
One way of thwarting terrorist activities in the country is by putting in place up to date technological security systems that are able to provide efficient services. The technologies should also surpass that of the terrorists. This means that as the new infrastructures are set up, they should be ready to adapt to these new strategies and techniques, and be creative and innovative to ensure that they are not easily manipulated and exploited (Dennis 30). Current IP-based surveillance and biometric identification are some of the advanced methods used in the airport to help in promoting security. These methods are able to record the details of the people entering the airports and therefore in case of a security lapse, individuals behind the crime can be traced. Furthermore, integration of different kinds of security is recommended to help in enhancing security. However, the only challenge in the integration has been the high costs required for their implementation. In these initiatives, the government should be in the forefront to help promote and facilitate the implementation of these security measures. For instance, the government can come up with regulations and standards that every airport should follow in order to ensure that their security is well guarded. This will go a long way to prevent cases of drug trafficking, human trafficking, and provide security to people travelling. Security is far important compared to the costs of providing it. The issue of cost should not suffice because the lives of the people are more valuable and require protection.
The increased concerns and efforts to come up with more advanced and reliable security programs in the airports is a sufficient reason that airports are not safe. Therefore, more attention is required to make them peaceful. The recent steps in terms of airport security include the Pre-check program introduced in 2011 by the Transportation Security Administration (Haffield 11). This program required that individuals traveling or planning to travel to any country across the world verify their identity as well as provide fingerprints in their registration centers. The strategy aimed to monitor and arrest people with malicious intentions. Before an individual is approved, he or she is subjected to different tests to ascertain whether they have manipulated their identities or not.
Airports are also at risk of catching fire. Some of the fires are as a result of a breach in the security apparatus. To avoid damages, it is essential to have specialized police force in place to help in preventing and putting off fire. However, it is important to have an overview of what the opponents of this school of thought hold. Those against this approach cite peace and stability in most countries as one of the reasons why this should be done away with. Others claim that it ensures that airport processes are done quickly, saving on time. Searching people for any weapons takes time and this affects the process of serving clients.
In conclusion, there are enough reasons that demonstrate the importance of safeguarding the airports. From time immemorial, terror activities and other forms of crimes have happened in airports leading to deaths and destruction. Therefore, airports provide the terrorists and other criminals a landing spot to cause havoc and frustration. Insecurity at airports affects almost all facets of our life. People expect tight security in places like the airport; therefore, it is prudent that the security in such areas should be steadfast. Further, airport security lapses discourage people from making visits to the country and this negatively affects the economy. Therefore, it is important for the government and other institutions of good will to render support in ensuring security at the airports. Airports security remains a central option to protect the lives of people and property.

Works Cited
Aghahowa Enoma, Allen Stephen, and Enoma, Anthony. ‘Airport redesign for safety and security: case studies of three Scottish airports.’ International Journal of Strategic Property Management, 13.2(2009):103-116. Print.
Dennis, William. ‘Tightening airport security.’ Asian Aviation Magazine, 9.1(2011):30-30. Print.
Haffield, David. ‘Expedited TSA checks? Tucson airport wants to be a part of that.’
Inside Tucson Business, 23.12(2013): 11-11. Print.
Kenny, Charles. ‘How Airport Security Is Killing Us.’ BusinessWeek.com. (2012): 1. Print.