ABSTRACT
Research on aviation security is challenging for a number of reasons; accurate and complete data on the current state of aviation security is often unavailable, and as Jackson and Prentice point out, many of the economic costs and benefits pertaining to aviation security are both intangible and uncertain. Security checks are performed on passengers, carry-on bags, luggage and cargo containers using various technologies in an effort to circumvent potential malicious attacks on the aviation infrastructure. The chapter reviewed economic and related research in key aspects of aviation security. It provides an overview of the network characteristics of civil aviation and highlights the strategic independence of airports in the provision of security. More research is required to help address the challenges faced by current aviation security systems in a world where globalisation and terrorism coexist and co-evolve. Governments and the institutions of aviation security must rectify this deficiency in data if they wish to reap the benefits of informed decision-making.
