25th October 2021
As More Of Us Prepare To Travel Abroad Once More, How Much Of A Part Will Airport Security Fencing Play?
There’s no doubt that the pandemic has had a catastrophic impact on travel. Public confidence in flying has been extremely low, with 41% of people surveyed at the end of 2020 planning to travel less frequently.
However, the desire to discover new places, other cultures and meet new people is powerful. And now that the aviation industry is beginning to recover, society is finding a way to get back to these much-loved activities.
As airports return to business as usual, a ‘new normal’ is being demonstrated within the sector. This is largely characterised by mandatory face masks, social distancing, fewer touchpoints and digital check-ins. But how much of a role will airport security fencing play as more of us prepare to travel abroad again?
Intruders breaching airport perimeter fences
Airports are usually extremely secure areas. After all, everyone is aware of the security procedures that passengers must follow to get as far as the gate, never mind the airfield itself. However, when security is breached, this inevitably leads to questions about how an off-limits area was accessed.
A recent example of this was on 19th March 2021, when an intruder breached the perimeter security fence at Dublin Airport. He was filmed running along the inside of the airport’s perimeter security fencing and was fortunately apprehended only minutes later.
Another example was earlier the same month, when Greenpeace activists breached the airport security fence at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris – vandalising a Boeing 777.
How were these incidents allowed to happen? Like most airports worldwide, Dublin and Charles de Gaulle airport were suffering from the effects of the situation affecting the aviation industry. With so many planes grounded, the threat of vandalism and mischief was at an all-time high.
Whilst chain link fencing is recommended by the TSA (Transport Security Administration) as a cost-effective deterrent, rather than a preventative measure, we strongly disagree. Everyone now knows how easy it is to cut through chain link fencing, meaning that it’s no longer effective – even as a deterrent. This is likely to be how intruders managed to gain access to these airports.
Airport perimeter fencing crucial due to expansion of outdoor spaces
Architect and global leader in aviation practice, Ty Osbaugh, predicts that outdoor green space could be a much more common feature of airports post-pandemic.
This is partly to help prevent the spread of airborne particles, but also due to advances in technology.
The use of biometrics, thermal imaging, and other ‘high speed’ operations could enable all security to be moved to the front door of the terminal. Airports will no longer need to divide as many secure and non-secure parts of the site, and passengers will have much more space to roam freely. New outdoor spaces could be used for moments of respite amongst the hubbub of airport life.
This would make airport perimeter security fencing more important than ever. A lack of internal security past the front door of the airport means that anyone who breached the perimeter fence could then access any part of the airport without hindrance.
Best types of airport fencing to maximise perimeter security
At CLD Fencing, we believe that prevention is far more important than deterrence when airport security is at stake. As such, all our airport security fencing systems are manufactured and installed to world-class standards.
We recommend our Securus AC™ SR2 fencing system (manufactured to LPS1175 SR2), which causes a three-minute delay in gaining entry compared to chain link fencing.
For an even greater (five-minute) delay, take a look at our Securus S3 fencing system (manufactured to LPS 1175 C5 SR3).
Either of these fencing systems would give an airport time to deploy manned patrols to the access point before entry could be gained.
Contact us today to upgrade your airport security fencing
Due to the world we live in, it’s vital that we increase airport security in line with requirements, and that we review airport perimeter security products regularly.
Don’t let a major airport security incident lead to questions about how it was ever ‘allowed to happen’. Talk to CLD Fencing today about investing in airport security fencing to prevent mischief makers, vandals and, worst of all, terrorists.
Call us on 0808 109 4278 or email us at info@cld-fencing.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible.