GSN January 2016 Digital Edition

Air travel experts push situational
awareness during the holiday rush
By Steve Bittenbender
As the Holiday travel season is coming
down to its final week, the Transportation
Security Administration
expects to screen nearly 3 million
passengers daily at airports across the
country.
Because of the increase in traffic,
extra attention is paid to airline travel,
which are already considered high
profile targets for terrorist attacks. It
was during this period 14 years ago
when Richard Reid, better known as
the “Shoe Bomber” unsuccessfully
tried to detonate an explosive device
on a plane bound for Miami. His attempt
was thwarted by passengers
on the flight, which originated from
Paris.
Recently, ExpertFlyer.com conducted
a conversation with several
airline and travel safety experts, who
all noted that the chance of an incident
or accident remains highly remote.
The Website provides its subscribers,
namely business travelers
and corporate travel managers, with
updated travel information.
“Despite events recently covered in
the news, air travel remains the safest
means of travel,” explains Chris
Lopinto, president and co-founder
of ExpertFlyer.com. “We are glad we
had an opportunity to speak with
these security and safety experts before
the holidays to hopefully help
travelers minimize their anxiety and
focus more on the joy of spending
time with friends and family this holiday
season.”
One of the steps experts recommend
is for foreign travelers to sign
up for the State Department’s Smart
Traveler Enrollment Program, which
allows them to receive safety updates
and other bulletins regarding
their destination. They also echo the
comments of Homeland Security
and other government officials, who
have created a campaign around the
phrase: “If you see something, say
something.”
Phil Dernier, founder of
the industry news organization
NYCAviation.com,
said: “For passengers, maintaining
good situational
awareness is something that
should be exercised at all
times, whether you’re flying
or not.”
Stephen Lloyd, a former
Federal Aviation Administration
safety director, concurred.
“Your life and the lives of others depend
on all of us as travelers reporting
suspicious objects, packages or
31
bags without an owner,” said Lloyd,
who is president of SJL and Associates,
an aviation consulting firm.
“This includes suspicious activity or
behavior by any person.”
While the TSA is often seen as the
primary agency to deter and detect
threats against airlines, the experts
noted that the effort to combat airline
terrorism goes well beyond the airport
terminals.
“It’s important to recognize that the
real nuts-and-bolts of keeping terrorists
away from planes don’t belong
solely to the TSA screeners on the
concourse,” explains Patrick Smith,
an airline piloted and noted blogger
and author. “It’s the combined efforts
of law enforcement, FBI, CIA,
Interpol and the TSA, all working
together. From inspecting checked
luggage and cargo to reviewing passenger
data, any plotters
are foiled long before they
reach the airport.”
Just how remote are
your chances from dying
in a plane crash? A study
from Harvard University
stated the odds are about
Stephen Lloyd, 1 in 11 million. That’s
SJL Associates – Former more than three times the
FAA Safety Director risk of being attacked by
a shark and significantly
higher than dying in an automobile
accident, which is 1 in 5,000.