ACI Asia-Pacific Regional Aviation Security Committee Discusses Human Resource Challenges and Cybersecurity Threat

2023-06-05

Airport security experts extensively deliberated on human resource challenges and cybersecurity threats at the 30th ACI Asia-Pacific Regional Aviation Security Committee (RASC) meeting held recently in Osaka, Japan. The meeting was attended by 35 security experts from airports in the region.

Over the two-day meeting, the committee discussed various workforce-related challenges commonly faced by airports in the region, including the scarcity of security screeners to meet the anticipated increase in passenger volumes, the increased threat of insiders as a result of employee layoffs and furloughs during the pandemic, and the need to further develop a security culture in light of airport personnel turnover.

Apart from the immediate challenges on workforce, the committee also discussed extensively the rapid evolution of cybersecurity threat which is expected to be one of the primary concerns for airports in the coming years and decades as they grow increasingly digitalised and dependent on technology. A cybersecurity expert from Israel Airports Authority was invited as a guest speaker to the meeting to share insights on the roles and responsibilities of airport security managers on cybersecurity, as well as what needs to be done to better safeguard airport security systems from cyber-attacks.

Moreover, several issues were raised and chosen for further discussion at the next RASC meeting, including:

The latest development of the liquids, aerosols and gels (LAGs) requirement and its potential impacts on airports if it is relaxed in the future;
The adoption of artificial intelligence in aviation security screening, such as the application of Automated Prohibited Item Detection Systems (APIDS); and
Innovation in non-screening technologies, such as smart CCTV and advanced perimeter systems.

The committee continued its work on developing guidance on “sustainability in airport security operations”. With the growing importance of sustainability, the guidance aims to provide practical examples on how airport security operations can contribute to the aviation sustainability objectives from an environmental, social and economic perspectives. The document is scheduled for release by the end of 2023.

The meeting concluded with an airport tour to Kansai International Airport. The next RASC meeting will be held from 7 to 9 November 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand.