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To view this page ensure that Adobe Flash Player version 9.0.124 or greater is installed. Policymakers have received mixed signals about the relative risk posed by general aviation. While the 9/11 Commission asserted that “[m]ajor vulnerabilities still exist in ...general aviation security,”3 the commission did not further elaborate on the nature of those vulnerabilities nor did it make specific recommendations pertaining to GA security. The FAA has noted that “[w]hile the DHS has no specific information that terrorist groups are currently planning to use general aviation (GA) aircraft to perpetrate attacks against the United States, it remains concerned that (in light of completed and ongoing security enhancements for commercial aircraft and airports) terrorists may turn to GA as an alternative method for conducting operations.”4 In other words, while GA aircraft and airports may not be optimally suited for terrorist objectives, the hardening of commercial operations may make them an attractive alternative to terrorists seeking to identify and exploit 1 See Associated Press. “U.S. Uncovers Al-Qaida Plot in Pakistan; The Terrorist Group Allegedly Planned to Fly an Airplane into the American Consulate.” Telegraph-Herald (Dubuque, Iowa), May 3, 2003, p. A7. 2 See Report of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee Working Group on General Aviation Airport Security (October 1, 2003); and Transportation Security Administration, Security Guidelines for General Aviation Airports. Information Publication A-001 (May 2004). 3 National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. The 9/11 Commission Report. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., p. 391. 4 Federal Aviation Administration. “Washington, DC Metropolitan Area Special Flight Rules Area; Proposed Rule.” Federal Register(70) 149 (August 4, 2005), p. 43251. vulnerabilities in aviation security. In this context, GA airports and aircraft are viewed as comparatively soft targets that may be exploited by terrorists because of known weaknesses and vulnerabilities. This view focuses primarily on the vulnerability of general aviation and does not systematically assess risk with regard to the interaction between these vulnerabilities, the threat posed by GA aircraft, and the potential consequences of a terrorist attack using GA aircraft . In fact, there is considerable debate over the threat element of the risk equation for GA operations. While GA advocates argue that the threat is minimal, some policymakers and security experts have expressed concern that, to the contrary, GA may pose a significant security threat. Part of the difficulty in resolving this debate is the diversity of operations and aircraft types that make up GA, making a single threat assessment for all sectors of the GA industry arguably inappropriate. To put the threat into context, the following discussion provides an overview of the variety of aircraft types, flight operations, and airport characteristics that make up GA. This discussion is followed by an analysis of the existing vulnerabilities in GA security, the terrorist threat posed by GA aircraft, and how these elements factor into a risk-based assessment of GA security. Based on this analysis, possible approaches to GA security are discussed and ongoing initiatives and legislative proposals currently under consideration are reviewed. 中国通航网 www.ga.cn 通航翻译 www.aviation.cn 本文链接地址：Securing General Aviation 通用航空安保(4) |
