No Excuse Security

I'll be the first to admit I don't like inconveniences when it comes to flying to an appointment or meeting. I want to get on the aircraft, sit and fly. And I'll be the first to admit that security checks are a hassle.

Likewise, I'm happy security is the first stop before entering the gate area of an airport. The fact is security is a matter of importance to all passengers, regardless of political correctness, race, creed, color or religion. Airport and aircraft security is not a misunderstanding, and it's not something to take lightly.

Apparently, AirTran officials feel the same about aircraft and passenger security as they ordered nine Muslim passengers off a flight from Reagan National Airport to Orlando on New Year's Day. To arbitrarily boot anyone from a flight is wrong, but in this case two other passengers overheard what they thought was a suspicious remark about aircraft safety or security.

This is a problem, even though eight of the nine in the party were U.S.-born citizens. FBI officials said the incident was a misunderstanding, but AirTran refused to rebook the passengers. The passengers received a refund and had to pay for seats on another carrier, with help from the FBI.

The comment made, according to news reports, was that the brother of Kashif Irfan, one of the removed passengers, was discussing the safest place to sit on an airplane. Irfan also said his brother and his wife were discussing some aspect of airport security.

Irfan said he and his traveling party were profiled because of their appearance. All are of South Asian descent, with the men wearing beards and the women dressed in traditional Muslim headscarves.

AirTran officials said the incident was a misunderstanding, but also defended the company's handling of the passengers, saying they were following federal rules. They also denied any wrongdoing.

In the final analysis, the Muslim party of nine got on the aircraft and made comments they shouldn't have made. Other people heard them and were nervous, possibly misconstruing what was said altogether.

The pilot has the final decision regarding who will fly on their aircraft. In this case, the pilot made the decision to empty the plane, rescreen all passengers and not allow the party to rejoin the flight.

I believe the pilot and AirTran officials made the right choice based on comments offered by the group. And I have 19 reasons why they made the right decision, all based on the comments and actions of a select few on Sept. 11, 2001.

About the Author

Ralph C. Jensen is the Publisher of Security Today magazine.

Featured

  • Maximizing Your Security Budget This Year

    Perimeter Security Standards for Multi-Site Businesses

    When you run or own a business that has multiple locations, it is important to set clear perimeter security standards. By doing this, it allows you to assess and mitigate any potential threats or risks at each site or location efficiently and effectively. Read Now

  • New Research Shows a Continuing Increase in Ransomware Victims

    GuidePoint Security recently announced the release of GuidePoint Research and Intelligence Team’s (GRIT) Q1 2024 Ransomware Report. In addition to revealing a nearly 20% year-over-year increase in the number of ransomware victims, the GRIT Q1 2024 Ransomware Report observes major shifts in the behavioral patterns of ransomware groups following law enforcement activity – including the continued targeting of previously “off-limits” organizations and industries, such as emergency hospitals. Read Now

  • OpenAI's GPT-4 Is Capable of Autonomously Exploiting Zero-Day Vulnerabilities

    According to a new study from four computer scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, OpenAI’s paid chatbot, GPT-4, is capable of autonomously exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities without any human assistance. Read Now

  • Getting in Someone’s Face

    There was a time, not so long ago, when the tradeshow industry must have thought COVID-19 might wipe out face-to-face meetings. It sure seemed that way about three years ago. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West
Most   Popular

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • PE80 Series

    PE80 Series by SARGENT / ED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin

    ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions, has announced the launch of two next generation exit devices from long-standing leaders in the premium exit device market: the PE80 Series by SARGENT and the PED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin. These new exit devices boast industry-first features that are specifically designed to provide enhanced safety, security and convenience, setting new standards for exit solutions. The SARGENT PE80 and Corbin Russwin PED4000/PED5000 Series exit devices are engineered to meet the ever-evolving needs of modern buildings. Featuring the high strength, security and durability that ASSA ABLOY is known for, the new exit devices deliver several innovative, industry-first features in addition to elegant design finishes for every opening. 3

  • Hanwha QNO-7012R

    Hanwha QNO-7012R

    The Q Series cameras are equipped with an Open Platform chipset for easy and seamless integration with third-party systems and solutions, and analog video output (CVBS) support for easy camera positioning during installation. A suite of on-board intelligent video analytics covers tampering, directional/virtual line detection, defocus detection, enter/exit, and motion detection. 3

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge. 3