Reinventing Aviation Security
Much of the next decade was spent helping governments around the world develop policies and capabilities to utilize Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) data, as well as examining early biometric systems to enhance border security throughout the air transport industry.
A colleague, born only a few months before 9/11, recently asked me if I could recall what I had imagined aviation security would look like now—some 25 years later. Honestly, I thought we would be much further forward: more advanced, more capable, more resilient—and underpinned by purposeful government and industry collaboration that prioritized security performance above all else.
There has, of course, been some progress. In terms of border security, API, PNR, and biometric systems are now commonplace; and document security has vastly improved with the advent of biometric passports and powerful tools to verify their authenticity and the holder’s identity in real-time.
Always in the crosshairs
Conversely, the evolution of aviation security has been routinely set back by high-profile events, resulting in knee-jerk regulatory responses. Richard Reid [2001] (aka “Shoe Bomber”), the Liquid Bomb Plot [2006], Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab [2009] (aka “Underwear Bomber”), Domodedovo Airport [2011], and the Brussels Attacks [2016] all serve as stark reminders that aviation remains a high value target for terrorists, given its potential to cause mass fatalities, casualties, and socio-economic disruption. Terrorists only need to get it right once to be ‘successful’; we have to get it right every single time.
Responses to new attack modes invariably involve adding yet more layers and complexity to already outdated passenger, baggage, and staff screening operations. Many aviation security professionals recognize that the premise on which aviation security is built – i.e., the prevention of acts of unlawful interference, such as hijack and sabotage – has changed beyond all recognition. In the 1960s and 1970s, often referred to as the ‘Golden Age of Hijacking’, the principal modus operandi involved getting guns and grenades onboard to seize control of the aircraft. Annex 17 to the Chicago Convention, along with the proliferation of metal detectors and x-ray equipment, has gone a long way in mitigating those threats. We have also implemented Explosive Detection Systems (EDS), enhanced screening for Portable Electronic Devices (PEDs) and Liquids, Aerosols, and Gels (LAGs), as well as Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) measures to prevent vehicle-borne attacks.
Where do we go from here?
But if we could reinvent aviation security today, would we invent something similar to what we have? Or would we invent something else—something better? If it is too bold, too ambitious, too costly, or just too difficult to invent something else, how can we improve what we have?
The aviation industry is resilient, but it is not invincible. We must work harder and smarter to achieve better security outcomes and enhanced passenger experiences. We should explore how far we can enhance our collective capabilities over the next 25 years. And there is much we can already do today that will deliver significant improvements in aviation security—in terms of operational performance, technology deployment, and passenger experience.
An African proverb reminds us that:
“if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together”.
The questions we should be asking ourselves today are: how far do we want to go together? And how fast can we get there?
© 2025 • augmentiq
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This article is an adapted extract from a forthcoming white paper on the future of aviation security.
About the Author: Matthew Finn is the chief executive officer of augmentiq. He has worked at the forefront of security for more than 30 years, with a mission to make travel safer, seamless, and more secure. He was previously Director of Government & Security at SITA, Board Member of Simplifying Passenger Travel at the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Editorial Advisory Board Member at Aviation Security International, and Security Liaison at the United Nations.
