ABSTRACT
Ithastobeacceptedfromtheoutsetthatthereisnoparticularreasonto expectthatthethreatofunlawfulinterferencewithcivilaviationwillbe liftedintheforeseeablefuture.Thereexistsnocrediblemechanismthrough whichsuchacessationofcriminalviolencecouldbeachievedandbe guaranteedtolast.Muchoftheworldcontinuestobepoliticallyunstable, andcivilairtransportis,byitsverynature,particularlyvulnerabletothose whowoulduseitasatarget,inonewayoranother,toachievetheirdesired objectives.Forthesereasons,aviationsecurityhasthereforeundeniably becomeamajorandsignificantcomponentofairportoperation.Thishas beenabasicfactofairportlifeformanyyears,anditwouldbeirrational nowtoassumethatthepositionwillimproveinanytimehorizonthatcould meaningfullybecalculated.Itcouldbecomeworse,however,andthiscould happenovernight.
