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Today we are going to learn more about the beautiful world of aviation., we will talk about the security filters its operation, What they are for and the challenge of airports to detect "everything".
Just look at the main image of this post.. What you see there is what trained eyes see every day, but multiplied by hundreds of passengers, in search of articles that put airport security at risk, not an easy task, or yes?
The recent arrest in Guayaquil José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport of three foreign citizens transporting twelve marine iguanas from Galapagos hidden in their carry-on luggage has ignited public debate in Ecuador. The main question of citizens points to the origin of the trip: How is it possible that the security filter at the Galapagos Ecological Airport, on the island of Baltra, will not detect reptiles?
To respond to this concern, it is necessary to demystify the function of controls in air terminals and understand the technical and operational limits of civil aviation security., known globally as AVSEC (Aviation Security).
The real purpose of a security filter
I have read so many comments that show a clear lack of knowledge about its functions, that these lines were born almost automatically, how do you know, The goal of the blog is to promote aeronautical culture and what better than such a trending topic to do it with?, one more time. Let's go for the information, although summarized, since we could go much deeper.
The security filters that passengers cross before entering the pre-boarding halls were not intended as environmental or sanitary customs.. Its fundamental purpose, regulated under strict international regulations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (OACI), is to safeguard the integrity of the flight, the aircraft and its occupants against acts of unlawful interference. Example: attacks of 11 of September from 2001.
X-ray machines and metal detector gantries are calibrated and operated with a specific approach: identify densities associated with firearms, explosive devices, sharp elements, hazardous chemicals or liquids in excess of permitted volumes that can be used to make a homemade bomb. a baby iguana, a small reptile or any other form of wildlife lacks metallic components, detonators or cables, so your silhouette on a screen X-ray Standard safety values can be easily confused with common organic densities., such as rolled up clothing, computer chargers or phone cables.
Require that an AVSEC operator, whose training is focused on detecting terrorist threats or weapons in a few seconds per baggage, identify small live animals is to undermine the priority of air safety, in addition to saturating a critical bottleneck in airport operations.
The responsibility of airports
Unfortunately, the millionaire and disgusting business of trafficking in species is a threat to nature on a global scale and like other illicit activities, these people without scruples or heart, They are capable of anything to achieve their gruesome goal..
Although the control of species trafficking is a direct responsibility of the environmental authorities, police and biosafety agencies specific to each country (as the Agency for Regulation and Control of Biosafety and Quarantine for Galapagos, ABG or Ministry of Environment), the Galapagos Ecological Airport has assumed an active role that goes beyond its general obligations within its concession contract. In fact, I am sure that they do more than many airports located in areas as delicate as it is. Galapagos.
The terminal of Baltra maintains close coordination with the park rangers of the Galapagos National Park Directorate. In fact, after this last incident, Airport operators announced the immediate reinforcement of their internal protocols and the upcoming implementation of new control systems to mitigate these gaps that international black market mafias systematically try to exploit..
The challenge of detecting live organic matter or wildlife products at airports is driving the development of cutting-edge technologies that complement human visual inspection..
Neural networks are being trained capable of analyzing the images generated by the scanners in real time. These algorithms can identify specific anatomical patterns of protected species (such as turtle shells or reptile bone structures) automatically alerting the operator through a box on the screen, regardless of the density of the object. Currently this technology already exists and is applied to detect in seconds a weapon that has been disassembled into dozens of parts., in just microseconds.
Too, and difference from conventional x-rays in two dimensions, CT scanners generate high-resolution three-dimensional images that allow luggage to be rotated virtually and materials analyzed by their exact atomic number, facilitating the distinction between inanimate organic matter and living animals.
Finally and going further, spectrometry devices capable of “smelling” or detecting microscopic organic particles and specific volatile compounds emitted by certain species within luggage flows are being investigated, acting as a technological version of the detection canines.
The fight against illegal wildlife trafficking in air terminals requires understanding that security is a layered system where multiple state and private actors intervene.. Placing sole responsibility on passenger filters or airport operators is ignoring the nature of current technology., which, fortunately, is already moving towards automated tools capable of protecting both airplanes and the planet's biodiversity, although it will require significant investments and time.
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