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Stay Alert!
By David Ramlagan, Training Coordinator, Aviation Security
On Friday September 12th, 2019, two security breaches occurred at Munich and Hamburg airports in Germany within the span of half a day.
The Munich Airport incident: An unauthorized individual at Munich International Airport’s Terminal 1 went through an alarm-secured door on Friday morning, causing police to temporarily close off parts of the airport, and many departing flights to be delayed.
a security breach
The Hamburg Airport incident: Authorities were forced to close security check-points at Hamburg International Airport on Friday evening, after a man was able to board a flight without a boarding pass. Five arriving flights were diverted to nearby airports, and eleven flights were cancelled (ICTS Bulletin 03.2019).
Toronto Pearson Airport had a similar incident in 2006. When an intruder cannot be found, planes must remain on the ground until the airport is deemed safe. This can result in a large number of delayed and cancelled flights, which can translate into millions of dollars in lost revenue.
Guarding an access control point requires the same attention as driving – avoid distractions! Car accidents occur when you least expect it. The same goes for security breaches. You could be attentive for majority of your shift but the breach may occur in the time that you were distracted. Remember these incidents the next time you are tempted with distractions on the job and remember to always stay alert!