Efficient Aviation Security

About this book

In the decade since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, aviation security has remained a policy area at the forefront of the national policy agenda. Al-Qa'ida has maintained its focus on the U.S. aviation system, and a number of attempted attacks on aircraft have been thwarted in the succeeding years. Internationally, there have been successful attacks on aircraft and airports, and continued adaptation and innovation by terrorist groups has presented aviation planners with a shifting risk environment. The frequent adjustments and systematic tightening of security around the aviation system that have occurred since 9/11 have also put the collateral and intangible effects of security efforts into the national spotlight, with significant controversy about the intrusiveness of security, and have stimulated both analysis and debate about whether the benefits of new security measures outweigh their costs. This document seeks to contribute to the national debate on aviation security by examining a set of issues that are either overlooked or not well captured in analyses of the costs and benefits of security measures. Our effort is motivated by the position that the goal of aviatio…