Canadian Airport Security Study

There is a very interesting analysis of aviation security entitled "The Myth of Security at Canada's Airports" (829KB) It is an official report from the Canadian Parliament, and was mentioned in the April Edition of Bruce Schneier's Crypto-Gram Newsletter. (Crypto-Gram tends to be pretty technical at times, but its an excellent monthly review of security issues and threats.)

The lead-in quote sets the tone with "You take away a hat pin, you take away some nail clippers, and everybody leaves the airport saying Oh, isn't that wonderful, they are so zealous . . . we don t have to worry. And it is all nonsense. Absolute nonsense."

From there it goes into a detailed analysis of the real risks that exist, while debunking some of the other security measures. It compares Canada to the US in some areas. It makes for a very interesting read. Unfortunately, it also has some very draconian recommendations for Private Aircraft. Private aircraft departing any of the 89 airports now under CATSA s supervision should not leave until passengers and their baggage have been searched. Private aircraft departing from any other airport should be searched on arrival, whether they arrive from private air fields in Canada or any locations in foreign countries.