Aviation Security: Historical Attacks and Countermeasures

Posted on Feb 8, 2025 in Architecture

A Retrospective View of Crimes and Terrorism in Aviation

Types of Attack

• Three “fundamental” types of attack on aviation:
  • Hijacking (skyjacking) aircraft
  • Bomb placement in aircraft
  • Airport terminal assaults
• Types of attack have changed little over time, but motivations, methods, and purposes have changed.
• Now we should add “airplane as a weapon” to the list above.
• Lethality and damage to society have expanded enormously.

The “Eras” of Attacks on Aviation

• 1930-1960
• 1960-1980
• 1980-1990
• 1990-2001
• Post-9/11

The 1930-1960 Era of Aviation Attacks

• Characterized by random criminal events
• Small scale damage or air service disruption
• Viewed as anomalies
• No government took “security” measures
• 1931: First hijacking in Peru
• 1933: UAL B-247 destroyed by in-flight bomb
• 1950s: Rash of insurance fraud attacks
• 1950s: Many hijackings for political asylum

The 1960-1980 Era Attacks: Castro Driven

• Started with Castro/Cuba = over 240 hijackings in 1960-74.
• Another 60+ hijackings in 1974-89
• Caused the US to be the first country to screen passengers
• Worldwide = 364 hijackings in 5 years (1968-73)
• Motivation: Primarily political refugees escaping Communist governments (and sometimes returning!)

The 1960-1980 Era: Mid-East Upsurge and Rise in Violence

• 1968 El-Al hijacking: PLF attempted prisoner release, worldwide TV, Israel adopted strictest AVSEC in the world & retaliation policy
• 1968-69 attacks on El-Al airplane Affair
• The Dawson’s Field, Jordan Spectacular:
  • PFLP mission to get prisoners released
  • Goal: Hijack three airplanes enroute to US
  • El-Al Flt 219 from Amsterdam-NYC. Aborted by crew reaction.
  • TWA Flt 74 from Frankfurt-NYC, Swissair DC-8 from Zurich-NYC, PAA Flt 93 from Amsterdam-NYC, BOAC VC-10
  • Passengers held as hostages at Dawson’s Field
  • PAA Flt 93 B-747 blown-up at Cairo. The TWA, Swissair and BOAC airplanes were blown-up at Dawson’s Field in front of the world’s TV crews.
• Lessons Learned? Mobility + passengers = Response problems

The 1960-1980 Era Attacks: Airports

• Primarily passenger terminal and airfield attacks
• 1972-Tel Aviv: PFLP gun attack on baggage claim area, approximately 100 total killed and wounded
• 1972-Houston: Robbers attacked in escape attempt
• 1973-Rome: Palestinian gun attack terminal and airside, 30 killed and many airplanes destroyed
• 1973-Rome: Palestinian explosives attack on parked airplane
• 1974-LAX: Bomb in luggage locker, several killed
• 1975-LGA: Bomb in luggage locker, 86 casualties

The 1960-1980 Era: Lessons Learned

• Criminals would destroy aircraft if it served their needs.
• Terror groups could plan and conduct multiple hijackings simultaneously.
• Terrorists knew and used the power of TV publicity.
• Moving airplanes with passenger loads create difficult response situations.
• Resourceful crew can sometimes abort hijackings.
• Take the easy route—put bombs in mail or baggage.

The 1980-1990 Era: Notable Attacks TWA 847

• B-727 from Athens to Rome
• Hijacked by Muslims with guns and grenades
• Lasted for almost three weeks
• Hijackers assaulted and killed select passengers (Jews & Americans)—rest ultimately released.
• Crew used initiative and flexibility to deal with situation

The 1980-1990 Era: Notable Attacks Lessons Learned-TWA 847

• Try to keep aircraft on the ground.
• Crews should be trained for security emergencies.
• Crews should be trained for hostage situation management.
• Crews need to provide info to responders, and rely on responder judgment, not fight it.
• Crews should use imagination and initiative.
• Dead hostages reduce bargaining power. Use that fact to negotiate hostage releases.

The 1980-1990 Era: Notable Attacks Air India 182/CPA 003

• B-747 from Vancouver to London
• Destroyed by baggage bomb near Ireland
• 329 persons killed
• CPA 003 baggage bomb blast on ground at Narita kills 2 bag handlers
• Both bombs set by same person at same time in Vancouver.
• Caused Canada to start 5-step bag screening

The 1980-1990 Era: Notable Attacks PSA 1771

• BAE-146 from SFO to SDO
• Terminated/disgruntled airline worker uses credentials to by-pass screening with gun
• Attacked flight crew in flight
• Airplane crashed killing 44 persons
• Lessons learned:
  • Employees can be a threat
  • Real-time access restrictions must be implemented

The 1980-1990 Era: Notable Attacks PAA 103 (Lockerbie)

• B-747 from FRA to JFK
• Bomb in checked baggage-16 oz of explosives
• Baggage reconciliation procedures NOT followed
• 270 killed in air and on ground
• Failures:
  • Failure to reconcile baggage-pax
  • Failure to heed intelligence on bomb manufacturing in Germany
  • Failure to warn airlines and airports of imminent threats
  • Failure to warn passengers/public of the threat
  • Ambiguous AVSEC policies that could be “conveniently interpreted”
  • Government failures to strictly enforce existing regulations

The 1990-2001 Era of Aviation Attacks

• A quiet period—lulled world into complacency
• WTC, OKC, and Khobar Towers non-aviation attacks
• FedEx Flt 705: Crazy crew member attack
• 1994 Al-Qaeda Operation Bojinka (Manila)
  • Planned in-flight bombings of 13 US airliners
  • Use of seat bombs with timers
  • Assassination of Pope and US President
  • GA airplane attack on CIA headquarters

The 1990-2001 Era: Failures and Lessons Learned

• Failure of metal detectors to detect liquid bomb components
• Failure of screeners to carefully check personal items
• Failure to inspect aircraft interiors between flights for “leftovers”
• Terrorists were employing massive improvised bombs (IED) to attack buildings.
• Terrorists were preparing to use chemical WMD
• Unscreened aircrews could be the threat.
• Terrorists were ambitious and were planning major multiple attacks against aircraft in flight.
• Terrorists had very prominent targets selected.

The Post-9/11 Era of Aviation Attacks

• AA 63-Paris to Miami-Christmas “Shoe Bomber”
  • Explosives hidden in shoe, caught by flight attendant
  • Failures:
  • Initially rejected for suspicious behavior
  • Returned next day, again questioned for suspicious behavior, not searched, allowed to board, despite classic passport, $$, baggage, itinerary issues.
  • Metal detector failed to detect plastic explosives in shoe

The Post-9/11 Era of Aviation Attacks

• Dec 2001: R. Reid (AKA-Shoe Bomber)-AA flight from Paris to Miami. Foiled by bad fuse and passengers
• 2002 Al-Qaeda MANPAD attacks on Israeli airliner departing Kenya.
• 2002 Iraqi/Insurgent MANPAD attack on DHL A-33 cargo flight departing Baghdad
• 2002 Egyptian radical Islamist gun attack on El Al passengers at LAX terminal
• 2004 Russian airliner bombings
  • Two flights, Tu-134 and Tu-154, same day
  • Chechen Muslim women suicide bombers
  • Corrupt ticket agent allowed boarding without papers
  • Screening machines could not detect plastic explosives
• 2006 London Bomb Plot
  • Massive bomb manufacturing operation aborted by police
  • Product: Liquid component bombs for airliner attacks
• 2009-”Underwear Bomber”-NWA flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. Bomb malfunctioned and burned “private parts”
• 2013 Islamic radical attacks TSA agents at LAX terminal
• 2010 Yemeni air cargo plot
  • Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) mission
  • Explosives cleverly hidden inside desktop printer cartridges being shipped as cargo
  • Detected by intelligence and stopped enroute to USA
• 2011 Moscow airport terminal bombing
  • 35 killed, >100 wounded in suicide bomb attack
  • Chechen Muslim women suicide bombers
• 2012 Underwear Bomber II
  • Another Yemeni AQAP mission
  • Detected by intelligence before executed
• 2012 Glasgow ”Jeep” bombing of airport terminal
• 2013: Islamic gun attack on TSA agents at LAX

The Post-9/11 Era of Aviation Attacks: Lessons Learned

• Terrorists becoming more lethal for overall psychological/publicity purposes
• Terrorists cleverly adapting to security responses, becoming a “tit-for-tat” game
• Increasing array of weapons and tactics
• Use of cultural sensitive women as agents/vehicles

deBecker’s “Response Categories”

• Category 1: Implemented to reduce risk
• Category 2: Implemented to reduce anxiety
• Regarding aviation security historically…
  • Category 2 responses have worked to “…get the public flying again.”
  • Category 1 responses have worked to protect the public from criminal and terrorist acts

Major Change in Security Approach after 9/11

• 9-11 events taught that we cannot continue doing security “stuff” the same old way.
• We needed a radical change in “mindsets” and procedures in order to confront an expanding, flexible, and increasingly lethal terror threat.
• We (the “good guys”) needed to change from being “reactive” to “proactive and pre-emptive.”

Pre-9/11 “Reactive” Approach

• Attitude/societal mindset that attacks on aviation like “stuff happens”
• Handled as criminal affairs
• The historical “dots” were not connected
• Reactive investigation, pursuit and punishment
• Reactive policies would be adopted, but weakly implemented
• Reactive steps meant we were always addressing past threats, NOT future threats.
• Governments and the aviation industry were always one or more steps behind the bad guys.

Post-9/11 “Proactive-Preemptive” Approach

• Treat terrorism as a continuing “war”
• Use of integrated intelligence to foresee methods and events
• Use of a “proactive” approach
• Use of “preemptive” actions to disrupt and destroy terrorist efforts and groups
• Involves commitment of all stakeholders
• Involves massive and sustained investment in time, money, materiel
• Is the “new normal”