Airport Security Flexibility - Evolve or Bleed Red Ink

In the past month there have been several airport security mishaps that resulted in complete travel gridlock. Each time security let through someone by accident and failed to catch them before they were lost in the crowd. Each time this happens, affected customers reevaluate their travel options. Security systems need to evolve to minimize customer inconvenience and maximize travel reliability. The key to success is a multi-tiered system combining flexibility, communication, and cooperation.

Current pair of options have deep flaws

There are two main security checkpoint layouts currently in use. These designs make trade offs between processing speed and simplicity of security response. Both of these designs work poorly for different reasons.

Serial solution - one checkpoint, one set of gates

The layout: Each concourse has one security checkpoint. When travelers want to get on a flight, there is one and only one security checkpoint for them to use.

The advantage: If security is compromised only one concourse is affected, rather than the whole terminal. Having to re-clear a smaller number of people, makes it easier to find the suspect, and minimizes stress on the traveling public.

The disadvantage: If there are a large number of flights leaving from one concourse, and there is only one security checkpoint to choose from, there can be hundreds of travelers in line. Those waiting travelers may look down the hall and see another security checkpoint with no line and wonder why they can't use that checkpoint.

Parallel solution - many checkpoints, many sets of gates

The layout: The airport concourses are all connected, and there are multiple security checkpoints that travelers can pass through.

The advantage: Travelers like having options. They will automatically look for the shortest line, acting as part of a simple load-balancing system.

The disadvantage: If security is breached you may be forced to empty the entire terminal. This causes mass confusion, hours of delays, and angry customers. The suspect can also escape in the vast mass of people.

Combine the solutions with choke-points for flexibility

It's possible to combine the advantages of these two systems. Multiple concourses in the terminal need to be connected to allow travelers to take advantage of multiple security checkpoints. In order to reduce the impact of a security breach the connections need to include choke-points. All these choke-points should be able to be quickly and easily closed in the event of a security breach, limiting the search area to improve the chances of finding the suspect. The other benefit is that a smaller number of people will have to be inconvenienced by going back through security.

To create this flexibility there must be real world architectural changes. In serial systems connections need to be created between concourses where they didn't exist before so that customers can use multiple checkpoints. This can be accomplished by establishing new passageways or even bus routes. In both systems, connections between concourses will need to be modified to allow for rapid closure. In several recent incidents, whole planes were emptied. Boarding gates should also be considered as choke-points.

Communication is critical

In order for a flexible system of choke-points to work, there must be a fast response time to incidents. A simple and effective way of communicating the situation must be implemented. Everyone who is in charge of closing down a choke-point must be notified immediately. Radio, intercom announcements, or flashing lights are all options to be explored.

When you are building your communication system, you need to think about the complexity of signals. The most basic response would be to close all the choke-points immediately, and then open them up as they are cleared individually. Implementing this basic response alone would be a major improvement over current practice. Additionally, response could be improved and made more flexible with a study of incident reaction time factors. These factors would include time between incident generation and detection, travel time between choke-points, and speed of suspect identification.

Cooperate to keep customers choosing air travel

All travelers have goals and schedules to meet. If they have to include the possibility of travel gridlock in their plans, they will change the way they travel. On shorter trips, such as business shuttle flights, some may choose to drive rather than risk missing an important meeting. Others may opt to route their trips through hubs where security is handled in better ways.

Improving security to support your customers will require cooperation It will take money and effort from airlines, airports and government agencies alike. All parties need to put organizational differences aside to invest in security changes. Air travel has changed after September 11th, but investments to minimize the impact to your customers can only be money well spent.