Airports and airlines are attractive targets for terrorism and other acts of crime. Large number of people pass through airports, which means there is a large concentration of people in a small area. At the same time airliners like AIRBUS A380 can carry more than 500 passengers on board, so any attempt to blow up the plane has the potential to produce a high mortality rate.
On the other hand, incidents involving aircraft attract huge media interest, which can be used by the terrorists to publicise their cause and instill fear. A hijacked plane is a sort of 'flying bomb", explosive devices can be hidden in checked luggage causing the death of hundreds of innocent people.
Find information on the net about some of the incidents involving aircraft that have changed the way airport security is viewed today.
9/11
1. Which incident does 9/11 refer to? Describe briefly the incident.
2. What was the lethality rate (how many people were killed)?
3. How mant hijackers were involved?
4. Who took responsibility for the attack?
5. What new security measures were put in place as a result?
25/12/2009
1. What happened on Northwest Airline Flight 253 on Christmas day, 2009?
2. What security measures were introduced at some airports as a result?
Find about the shoe bomb incident or other notable security incidents that led to the tightening of the security measures at airports.
WRITING TASK: Discuss the question:
Why is airport security important for passengers and for the airport?
Write an answer in 100-150 words.
Regards,
RV
