This report assesses the operational performance of explosives-detection equipment and hardened unit-loading devices (HULDs) in airports and compares their operational performance to their laboratory performance, with a focus on improving aviation security.

This book addresses new technologies being considered by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for screening airport passengers for concealed weapons and explosives. The FAA is supporting the development of promising new technologies that can reveal the presence not only of metal-based weapons as with current screening technologies, but also detect plastic explosives and other non-metallic threat materials and objects, and is concerned that these new technologies may not be appropriate for use in airports for other than technical reasons. This book presents discussion of the health, legal, and public acceptance issues that are likely to be raised regarding implementation of improvements in the current electromagnetic screening technologies, implementation of screening systems that detect traces of explosive materials on passengers, and implementation of systems that generate images of passengers beneath their clothes for analysis by human screeners.

Handbook of Checked Baggage Screening – Advanced Airport Security Operation is a practical guide for project managers and designers embarking on hold-baggage screening developments within the airport environment for the first time. The book clearly explains away any uncertainty about the processes and procedures to be used by the various parties involved within the industry and sets out ‘best practice’ with respect to checked baggage screening design. Valuable lessons can be learned from actual case studies contributed by leading equipment manufacturers on recent 100% hold baggage screening projects. In addition to the all-important security screening of baggage and passengers the book also looks at the following areas associated with airport security, through the use of a detailed structured security check-list evaluation questionnaire. The questionnaire allows airports to assess the state of readiness of their airports and then, using the other chapters, gain an insight regarding which technology will best solve any security gaps. The authors offer a unique perspective through their background and experience. Many of the checked baggage screening procedures and equipment discussed in the book have already been implemented in the UK, with the authors responsible for leading this effort. The combined experience they can offer to the industry world wide is invaluable.

The Aviation and Transportation Security Act mandates that by December 2002 100 percent of checked baggage be screened. Can this schedule be met? RAND assessed the feasibility of using explosive detection system machines or whether less-expensive explosive trace detection machines could shoulder part of the load. After studying operations at Dulles and Dallas-Fort Worth Airports, the authors concluded that a bottom-up approach on an airport-by-airport basis was better than the top-down approach mandated by the FAA. They identified six problem areas and propose improvements that, while not meeting the deadline, will increase security.