Aviation Security: Threats and Acts of Unlawful Interference
Understanding “Unlawful Interference”
“Unlawful Interference” encompasses a wide spectrum of acts, ranging from moderately disruptive behavior to mass terrorist attacks. Examples include:
- Vandalism of airport facilities
- Air rage
- Threatening flight attendants
- Drug smuggling
- Cargo theft
- Bomb threats
- Sabotage of aircraft/NAVAIDS
- “Simple” hijackings
- Fatal hijackings
- Aircraft bombing
- 9/11 mass attacks
ICAO Annex 17: Defining “Unlawful Interference” with Civil Aviation
ICAO Annex 17 defines “Unlawful Interference” as acts including:
- Violence against a person on board an aircraft in flight if that act is likely to endanger the safety of that aircraft.
- Destroying an aircraft in service or causing damage to such an aircraft which renders it incapable of flight or which is likely to endanger its safety in flight.
- Placing, or causing to be placed, on an aircraft in service, by any means whatsoever, a device or substance which is likely to destroy that aircraft, or causing damage to it which renders it incapable of flight, or causing damage to it which is likely to endanger its safety in flight.
- Destroying or damaging air navigation facilities or interfering with their operation if any such act is likely to endanger the safety of an aircraft in flight.
ICAO Annex 17: Further Acts of Unlawful Interference
- Communicating information known to be false, thereby endangering the safety of an aircraft in flight.
- Unlawfully and intentionally using any device, substance, or weapon if such an act endangers, or is likely to endanger, safety at an airport.
- Performing an act of violence against a person at an airport serving international civil aviation which causes, or is likely to cause, serious injury or death.
- Destroying or seriously damaging the facilities of an airport serving international civil aviation, or aircraft not in service located thereon, or disrupting the services of the airport.
Traditional Criminal Activities Impacting Aviation Security
- Baggage pilfering and theft
- Air cargo theft
- Drug smuggling
- Ticket/baggage tag theft and fraud
- Burglary of general aviation aircraft
- Theft of general aviation aircraft
How do these criminal acts affect aviation security in relation to terrorist acts?
An estimated 85% of these acts are committed by airline and airport employees or contractors, such as cargo/baggage handlers and document handlers. These acts often occur at intermodal handling/storage points and can be either planned or opportunistic.
Traditional Vandal Activities
- Bomb threats against aircraft and airports
- Vandalism of NAVAIDS
- Trespassing on restricted airport property
- “Air rage” incidents
- Disabling smoke alarms in airplane lavatories
Traditional Terrorist Activities
Aircraft Bombings via:
- Passengers
- Baggage
- Cargo
Aircraft Hijackings:
- Non-suicidal, to gain some objective in exchange
- Suicidal
Aircraft Attacks:
- On the ground by gunfire or explosives
- In flight by man-portable anti-aircraft missiles
Traditional Terrorist Activities: Airport Attacks
Airport Attacks via:
- Hand-held weapons and explosives
- Man-placed improvised explosive devices
- Vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices
- Standoff weapons, e.g., mortars and rockets
- Suicide bombers
Latent (Emerging) Threats: Capabilities and Potential
- Chemical weapons
- Biological weapons
- “Dirty” radiological weapons
- Nuclear weapons
- Infrastructure attacks
- Cyber attacks