Airport Security or Airport Insecurity: The Case of the Missing Malaysian Airplane

• In Event: Preventing and Investigating Terrorism: National and Local Responses

Abstract

This paper will analyze the state of airport security vis-à-vis the lost Malaysian airplane that in March of 2014 was boarded by two men with stolen passports and disappeared from the radar hours before its projected landing. One of the possible explanations for its disappearance, at the time this paper was written, was terrorist related activity. Anecdotal evidence implies that many developing nations do not utilize all the resources available to them to enhance safety and security of primary targets, such as within airline security. More than a decade after the coordinated airline attacks conducted on September 11th, 2001, many nations still have not adopted functional security practices to reduce the risk of terrorist actors turning an airline into a guided missile capable of causing billions in damages, in conjunction with tremendous loss of human life. The authors will discuss the obstacles to the proper implementation of various security measures, including, but not limited to, accessing international databases that would assist in the identification of individuals attempting to board airlines with forged or stolen identification. Some templates for solutions to the aforementioned problem will be outlined for future consideration.

Authors

• Charles Andrew Lieberman, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Maria (Maki) Haberfeld, John Jay College of Criminal Justice