Download Free Security At Nations Highest Risk Airports Book in PDF and EPUB Free Download. You can read online Security At Nations Highest Risk Airports and write the review.

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO: (1) evaluated the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) methodology for assessing security at foreign airports, focusing on those airports at high risk of terrorist and other criminal activities; and (2) provided information on how the Department of State used its Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program funds to enhance foreign airport security. GAO found that: (1) FAA revised its foreign airport assessment guidance in 1987 to promote more comprehensive documentation of compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards, an inspection team approach, and increased rapport between inspectors and foreign security officials; (2) FAA inspectors interviewed various foreign government, airport, and security officials, observed various security measures, and toured airport perimeters to assess airport security; (3) FAA inspectors did not test the operational effectiveness of security systems or observe and evaluate the security tests conducted by foreign airport officials; and (4) FAA conducted about 600 assessments of 200 airports during 1986 and 1987, concluded that most airports met ICAO standards, and suggested 100 security enhancements at 33 of the 54 highest-threat airports. GAO also found that: (1) through fiscal year 1987, State's Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program provided aviation security training to about 500 persons from 19 countries and provided aviation security equipment worth $2.8 million to 18 countries; and (2) State generally provided such training through requests from foreign governments, since FAA did not formally notify State of specifics on training needs identified during security assessments.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has spent billions of dollars on aviation security programs. However, recent attacks involving aircraft and airports in other countries underscore the continued threat to aviation and the need for an effective aviation security program. Chapter 1 examines the extent to which TSA has (1) information on the effectiveness of selected passenger aviation security countermeasures and (2) systematically analyzed the cost and effectiveness tradeoffs among countermeasures. Incidents of aviation workers using access privileges to smuggle weapons and drugs into security-restricted areas and onto planes has heightened awareness about security at commercial airports. TSA, along with airport operators, has responsibility for securing the nations approximately 440 commercial airports. Chapter 2 reports on (1) the extent to which TSA has assessed the components of risk and (2) the extent to which TSA has taken actions to oversee and facilitate security, among other objectives. U.S. policies and strategies for protecting air cargo have focused on two main perceived threats: the in-flight detonation of explosives concealed in an air cargo shipment and the hijacking of a large all-cargo aircraft for use as a weapon to attack a ground target such as a major population center, critical infrastructure, or a critical national security asset. Additionally, there is concern that chemical, biological, or radiological agents or devices that could be used in a mass-casualty attack in the United States might be smuggled as international air cargo as discussed in chapter 3. On 31 August 2016, as part of a shift in U.S. policy toward Cuba, air carriers resumed scheduled commercial flights between the United States and Cuba, a route previously only open to public and private charter carrier operations. Chapter 4 examines (1) the extent to which TSA followed its standard operating procedures when assessing aviation security at Cuban airports in fiscal years 2012 through 2017; (2) the results of TSAs Cuban airport assessments in fiscal years 2012 through 2017; and (3) the results of TSAs air carrier inspections for Cuba in fiscal years 2016 -- when commercial scheduled air service between the United States and Cuba resumed -- and 2017.
Incidents of aviation workers using access privileges to smuggle weapons and drugs into security-restricted areas and onto planes has heightened awareness about security at commercial airports. TSA, along with airport operators, has responsibility for securing the nation's approximately 440 commercial airports. GAO was asked to review TSA's oversight of airport perimeter and access control security since GAO last reported on the topic in 2009. This report examines, for airport security, (1) the extent to which TSA has assessed the components of risk and (2) the extent to which TSA has taken actions to oversee and facilitate security, among other objectives. GAO examined TSA documents related to risk assessment and security activities; analyzed relevant TSA security event data from fiscal years 2009 through 2015; obtained information from TSA and industry association officials as well as from a nongeneralizable sample of 11 airports, selected based on factors such as size.