Aviation Security

    An unusual threat to aviation security that has been on the rise is mental health and or stress triggers. Allow me to explain, what I'm referring to in particular is cases of passengers that for one reason or another, act to what friends and family might describe as out of character or flat out unthinkable. From attacking crew and passengers, to deliberately opening emergency doors and panic attacks causing chaos; mental health has seemingly crept up and started to impact not only the general flight experience but safety as well. 

    Coincidentally, TSA and their various layers of protection also cover some of these aspects like a nice blanket. More specifically; customs, passenger screening, crew vetting, vipr, behavior detection, travel document checker, checkpoint security officers, random employee screening, the air marshals, flight deck officers, trained flight crew, law enforcement officers, and passengers all gave their hand just the slightest bit in what we'll refer to as the mental health pie, (Transportation Security Administration, 2017). Although most of these layers are here to prevent terrorism and attacks, they double as an excellent tool to distinguish individuals in their current mental and emotional state. Someone whos suffering from stress, agitation or a generally uncommon amount of negative stimulation might give off the same signals a potential threat might, so in keeping an eye on individuals and their behavior, every layer also helps to ensure the general safety of passengers and crew. 

Retrieved from https://abcnews.go.com/US/man-brawls-tsa-agents-phoenix-airport-video/story?id=63856159.

    Every layer of interaction is important, as they paint a full picture of how an individual might be doing before it becomes too late. Adding on to these measures a rapid heart beat monitor during check in could be incorporated, as well as a feature into emergency doors that require two individuals to open, or a single individual on a delayed timer with an incorporated warning alarm of sorts. The aim is not to restrict safety or slow down processing times at air ports, rather help provide a better picture with their current heartbeat and mitigate accidents involving the emergency features of airplanes.  

References 

ABC News Network. (n.d.). Man Brawls TSA Agents. ABC news. https://abcnews.go.com/US/man-brawls-tsa-agents-phoenix-airport-video/story?id=63856159.

Inside look: Tsa layers of security. Inside Look: TSA Layers of Security | Transportation Security Administration. (2017, August 1). https://www.tsa.gov/blog/2017/08/01/inside-look-tsa-layers-security.