Enhanced airport security not cost effective, report says
A new study suggests that continually enhancing airport security measures at US airports may not be worth the cost.
The research paper also advised that some airport security procedures could be relaxed without impacting on passenger safety.
The report entitled ‘Cost-benefit analysis of airport security: Are airports too safe?’ published in the March edition of the Journal of Air Transport Management, said some security arrangements designed to protect airports are excessive and do not justify the cost.
The report’s authors – John Mueller, political science professor at Ohio State University and Mark G. Stewart, a civil engineering professor at Newcastle University in Australia – looked at the risk and cost-effectiveness of adding extra precautions and determined many enhancements would not warrant the added cost.
The report focused on the implementation of extra measures such as bomb-sniffing dogs, vehicle checkpoints, shatterproof glass and blast deflection walls.
The professors concluded that airports are not the main priority target for a terrorist attack and however much was spent, it would be impossible to completely eliminate the risk.
The report said some airport security procedures were "highly questionable," and it was time to consider if many existing security arrangements are already too excessive.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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