| As a response to the tragedy which is now | | | | already been a major issue in the aviation industry |
| notoriously known as the "9/11 attacks", the | | | | due to the number of hijack situations that had |
| United States Department of Transportation and | | | | occurred through the years. Another airline |
| the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration had to | | | | security problem is the probability that a |
| immediately implement changes in air travel | | | | passenger or an airline crew may take suicidal |
| regulations to tighten the security of both airports | | | | actions while on air. In response to these threats, |
| and aircrafts. In fact, many airlines had to | | | | airlines have made it a priority to train their |
| decrease the number of their daily flights in | | | | employees on how to handle hijack scenarios and |
| compliance with the new regulations. Since then, | | | | other life-threatening situations. After 9/11, the |
| various changes have been made to make | | | | United States Congress had enacted laws in an |
| aviation standards tougher. These had been a | | | | effort to boost airline security. One of the more |
| cause of concern for all companies belonging to | | | | controversial of which is the law that allows |
| the airline industry. Airlines safety KPI or key | | | | aircraft pilots to carry handguns for their personal |
| performance indicators are often used by these | | | | safety. After all, an attempt on the life of a pilot |
| companies to determine if their security protocols | | | | while an aircraft is on air is synonymous to an |
| are at par with standards. | | | | attempt on the lives of all aircraft passengers. |
| Generally, airline companies provide air transport | | | | Moreover, $250 million has been allocated by |
| services for transportation of items or | | | | Congress to make cockpit doors of commercial |
| passengers. Some of these companies own their | | | | aircrafts more secure. |
| aircrafts while others just lease them. Services by | | | | The airline industry is one of the most |
| airlines are categorized as intracontinental, | | | | customer-sensitive industries in the world. Also, |
| intercontinental, or domestic, depending on the | | | | the profitability of airline companies may be |
| type of operation that they do. Just like airports, | | | | drastically affected by external factors that they |
| airlines are also mandated to observe security | | | | do not have control of like weather disturbances. |
| measures or procedures so as to provide | | | | Keeping airline security protocols at par with set |
| protection for passengers when they are aboard | | | | standards is also a major concern for these |
| aircrafts. The concept of "airline security" | | | | companies because money would have to be |
| particularly refers to all security procedures and | | | | spent to accomplish them. It is for this reason |
| infrastructure that are used to prevent security | | | | that they regularly evaluate implemented safety |
| problems in aircraft. This concept is somewhat | | | | measures to ensure that these are effective and |
| related to the concept of "airport security." The | | | | not just a waste of financial resources. For |
| primary difference between both is that the latter | | | | evaluation purposes, several airlines use |
| is more concerned about security protocols | | | | predetermined airlines safety KPI to indicate |
| observed in airports. | | | | efficiency or inefficiency of assessed security |
| Even before the 9/11 attacks, airline security had | | | | protocols. |