Risk assessment and risk management are two fundamental aspects to consider in infrastructural management. Risk assessment involves processes aimed at identifying and uncovering vulnerabilities and threats. On the other hand, risk management incorporates making decisions regarding the most appropriate protective measure to take based on the identified risk reduction strategies. Both risk assessment and management are vital in infrastructural management as they form the basis of resource allocation to mitigate the risk. Risk assessment is premised on five fundamental steps that begin by identifying the hazards. The organization then identifies the facilities and persons that might be harmed by the risk. The company proceeds to evaluate the risk and make decisions on the most viable control measures. The findings are recorded, and the organization performs a review whenever it is necessary. Risk management is a long-term process that requires various stakeholders to accomplish. The advent of technology has revolutionized the nature of threats and vulnerabilities. Airports form a vital infrastructure in the United States thanks to their role in the transportation sector. However, they also face significant risks from various sources, including wildlife, people, cyber threats, and floods. Although airports are vulnerable from these types of risks, their long-term sustainability depends on several risk assessment and management strategies.
History of Airports
Airports have come a long way since the invention of the first airplane. The first aircraft depended on grassy fields and places of taking off and landing. After a few improvements, aircrafts used the dirt-only field for these purposes. The dirt-only fields came with more efficiency due to the lack of drag experienced from the grass. Later on, the US's aviation industry developed concrete surfaces that enabled landing and taking off under any weather (History of Airports). College Park Airport was the first and is currently the oldest airport in the country. Wilbur Wright used it for landing when training military officers of the US Army. The US has grown to have the largest airport network in the country with over 18000 facilities. The infrastructures have also grown from trivial and mundane structures to more complex and sophisticated items (History of Airports).
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Purpose of the Risk Analysis
Risk analysis is a complex process that involves the identification and mitigation of uneventful occurrences. As defined by Misra (2008), “Risk is the possibility of a hazardous event occurring that will have an impact on the achievement of objectives” (p.661). Risk is measured based on factors such as the probability of occurrence and the impact or the consequence. The reduction of risk remains a critical transport safety policy. The aviation industry has undergone tremendous change over the past decades. During the early periods, commercial aviation sectors had less developed technology and possessed poor infrastructure. Besides the limited oversight, the industry suffered significantly from an inadequate understanding of aviation operations' underlying hazards (Distefano & Leonardi, 2014). Therefore, this explains the numerous accidents that occurred during the early days of the aviation industry's development. Risk analysis in airports and the overall aviation sector must focus on enhancing safe aviation operations. The primary objective is to prevent accidents, especially in the aerodrome area. Research by Distefano and Leonardi (2014) found that approximately 80% of all commercial aircraft accidents occur in the airdrome area. Risk analysis serves a fundamental role in improving quality and ensuring that the aviation sector reduced inconveniences and real life problems. The overall objective is to create a well-functioning process where travelers, employees, and management remain safe at all times.
Significance of Risk Analysis
The airport remains a significant source of many risks. Performing a risk analysis ensures that the organization complies with the local and international regulations on safety and quality. Airports in the US and the rest of the world face significant risks, threats, and vulnerabilities. Risk analysis for this infrastructure serves five fundamental roles (Guerra, Murino, & Romano, 2008). First, stakeholders can uncover the risks before they happen and develop the best assessment and management strategies. Secondly, the airport and aviation industry, in general, will comply with several environmental and safety guidelines. The organization will stay away from potential lawsuits that might harm its reputation and brand image. The 9/11 terrorist events remain one of the most defining moments in the aviation industry. Terrorists hijacked a plane headed for the US and attacked key buildings in the country, leading to many deaths and injuries. The event acted as a paradigm shift in the management of risk in airports and the aviation sector so far as terror is concerned (Guerra, Murino, & Romano, 2008). Stakeholders must continuously conduct a risk analysis to protect passengers' safety and restoring the faith of Americans regarding the fight against terror. Fourthly, risk analysis will provide the airports with an opportunity to budget for and allocate enough resources to the assessment and management of hazards. Any risk analysis procedure will depend on the availability of adequate resources in terms of funds and technology (Guerra, Murino, & Romano, 2008). Finally, risk analysis in airports provides the basis for developing response strategies against threats, vulnerabilities, and hazards.
Vulnerabilities, Risks, and Threats
The threat of wildlife in airports has been a significant factor of consideration for many years. According to Soldatini, Albores-Barajas, Lovato, Andreon, Torricelli, Montemaggiori, and Georgalas (2011), wildlife in airports can be a significant risk to aviation. The collision between wildlife and aircraft can cause immense loss and damage in the form of human lives or monetary loss due to the associated repairs and maintenance. The increase in wildlife strikes has coincided with the growing number of species in anthropic areas. As illustrated by the authors, "Wildlife, particularly birds, is increasingly present in human-modified habitats due to an increase of synanthropic species populations and to the process of habituation to anthropogenic resources that many species are undergoing" (p.1). The increase in air traffic has also directly contributed to the collision between these animals and birds. In response to this, Italian airports, for instance, have responded by establishing airport risk assessment. The research further illustrates that human activities around the airport determine the risk of collision. Therefore, part of the risk assessment must focus on evaluating the impact of residential areas around the airport area.
Besides animals, flood risks also pose a significant danger to airport infrastructure. Climate change has significantly contributed to the rising incidents of flooding in various parts of the country. Some of the airports that have experienced flood incidents include LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy, and Newark International. The continued operations of these airports significantly depend on the sound risk mitigation process. For instance, Hurricane Sandy of 2012 caused significant flooding in these airports' paralyzing functions. As observed by Ohman, Kimball, Osler, & Eberbach (2014), the climate change expected in the future, coupled with the ever-rising sea level, could lead to disruptions and shutdowns of air travel in the busy airports. Airports are experiencing the risk of the flood because most of them are located in low lying areas. Climate change also means that the sea level is expected to rise in the coming years. Research shows that sea level rising levels mean that airports in the country will be exposed to the danger of floods (Ohman et al., 2014). Therefore, the airport management is under constant pressure to assess and manage risks to prevent the financial loss that comes with closures and shutdowns.
Security risks remain a significant threat or vulnerability in the airport area. Since the 9/11 attack, the country has remained aware of the potential security threat that aircraft pose to the passengers and the country at large. As illustrated by Schóber, Koblen and Szabo (2012), " Apart from the risks posed by possible terrorist attacks on airborne aircraft, air terrorism includes the threats to general aviation on the ground, including airports and surrounding infrastructure" (p.169). Security threats in an aircraft can have adverse psychological effects on the passengers hence affecting the airport businesswise. The decline in the number of passengers and cargo shipments due to security reasons could negatively impact the aviation sector's financial well-being. The security threats begin when passengers find a way of entering the aircraft with a weapon or a foreign object that is likely to cause harm. Research has shown that the physical security threat can happen onboard or anywhere within the airport premises (Schóber et al., 2012). Other than terrorists, burglars, thieves, criminal gangs, and intruders can pose significant threats to legitimate passengers and staff within the airport area.
Cybersecurity threats have also negatively impacted the aviation industry in major significant ways. At the airport, passengers provide crucial bio information that could include name, residence, telephone numbers, social security number, and bank account numbers, among many others. Some of these details are crucial and have a significant impact on the life of a person (Gopalakrishnan et al., 2013). Therefore, such information could form a significant target for cybercriminals to exploit. Today, people live in an information technology age where the government authorities and businesses rely on the interconnected computer system to manage a host of aspects, including water, energy, and transportation. The information fed to these systems is prone to security problems through hacking and Spear Phishing by malicious individuals. Many US airports do not have efficient cybersecurity standards to protect the systems from potential attacks (Gopalakrishnan et al., 2013). Besides the passenger information, most of these aircraft are controlled thanks to the integrated information systems remotely. Security breaches on these devices could therefore affect the operation of the aircraft leading to miscommunication and accidents.
Recommendations for Actions
Recommendations for actions must be taken based on the risk in question. The four main types of risks identified include wildlife, floods, physical security, and cybersecurity. Regarding the birds, the most plausible strategy would propose in research is known as wildlife risk assessment. The strategy has been utilized in many Italian airports with a significant degree of success. The authors have also discussed the importance of developing risk assessment tools such as the Birdstrike Risk Index (BRI) that provide the basis for assessing the risk of collision between the birds and humans. Research has also noted that the likelihood of wildlife depends on the number of domestic settings surrounding the airport area (Soldatini et al., 2011). As part of the risk management strategy, stakeholders must discourage settlement near the airport area. Long trees and vegetation that attract wildlife should be eliminated. Preventing these animals from accessing the airport enhances safety and prevents repairs and maintenance costs after the collision.
Flood is the second fundamental risk that can adversely affect the operation of the airports. Airports can suffer from immense financial losses when they are forced to close due to the floods. Floods can also damage expensive infrastructure in the airport hence contributing to further losses. The airports must work on strengthening their stormwater management capacity (Ohman et al., 2014). Some authors have also proposed the creation of floating airports. The risk management process can protect the runways by fitting wet proofing and dry proofing devices. The airport can avail of other forms of technologies such as floating structures, mounds, stilts, and amphibious structures (Ohman et al., 2014). Relocating to another place altogether can have significant cost implications for the organization. Research has also shown that achieving complete flood-proofing of airports is unfeasible due to the cost associated with the process. Most airports are advised to build their resilience to flooding and its effects on the operations and infrastructure (Ohman et al., 2014). Significant attention should be placed on the restoration and recovery processes within the airport.
Physical security risks are the most important vulnerabilities because they directly impact the lives of the people. Airports must remain keen on investing in modern security technologies that uncover weapons and protect infrastructure within the airport area. According to Schóber et al. (2012), in-flight security starts at the ground level. The airport must invest in security devices and also train and equip the staff members with modern weaponry. For instance, the hardening of the cockpit doors prevents the crew from danger or intimidation while onboard. The flight crew should be well-equipped with self-defense training to ensure that they respond adequately during the assault. Some of the aviation industry technologies can consider include the dual-energy X-ray, ion mobility spectrometer, and the X-ray screening machine (Schóber et al., 2012). These technologies aim to detect security threats in the form of weapons and bombs.
Cybersecurity attacks are also common and present significant threats to the airport staff and passengers' wellbeing. Like any other company, airports run the risk of losing money and important documents that could land it in legal problems with their clients. Airports must begin with basic practices such as using strong passwords and firewalls to protect their information systems. The management must train the staff members on using the internet to avoid vulnerabilities arising from these sources (Gopalakrishnan et al., 2013). The staff should also place keen attention on using the latest and effective software that has better security features. Policies should be enacted to prevent the individual vulnerabilities of the people. For instance, passengers can be warned against using public WIFI hotspots. The overall goal is to protect the integrity of information and computer systems for persons within the airport environment.
Conclusion
Airports face significant risks from various sources, including wildlife, people, cyber threats, and floods. Although airports are vulnerable from these types of risks, their long-term sustainability depends on several risk assessment and management strategies. Risk assessment is premised on five fundamental steps that begin by identifying the hazards. Risk management is a long-term process that requires various stakeholders to accomplish. Regarding birds, risk management strategies center on performing wildlife risk assessment and empirically measuring risks using tools such as Birdstrike Risk Index (BRI). Physical security depends on assessing the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of various entities within the airport environment. The organization should respond by strengthening technology and performing immense burglar proofing using the latest technologies. The effect of floods can be mitigated by installing appropriate infrastructures such as dry proofing and wet proofing devices. Cybersecurity threats are eliminated by using the latest software and basic aspects such as strong passwords and firewalls. Overall, the objective is to establish a waterproof system that prevents the airport from incurring any loss or damage.
References
Distefano, N., & Leonardi, S. (2014). Risk assessment procedure for the civil airport. International Journal for Traffic and Transport Engineering , 4 (1), 62-75.
Gopalakrishnan, K., Govindarasu, M., Jacobson, D. W., & Phares, B. M. (2013). Cybersecurity for airports. International Journal for Traffic and Transport Engineering , 3 (4), 365-376.
Guerra, L., Murino, T., & Romano, E. (2008, May). Airport risk assessment: a probabilistic approach. In WSEAS International Conference. Proceedings. Mathematics and Computers in Science and Engineering (No. 10). World Scientific and Engineering Academy and Society.
History of Airports https://www.avjobs.com/history/airports.asp
Misra, K. B. (2008). Risk analysis and management: An introduction. In Handbook of Performability Engineering (pp. 667-681). Springer, London.
Ohman, K. A., Kimball, N., Osler, M., & Eberbach, S. (2014). Assessing coastal flood risk and sea-level rise impacts at New York City area airports. AGUFM , 2014 , NH53A-3874.
Schóber, T., Koblen, I., & Szabo, S. (2012). Present and potential security threats posed to civil aviation. Incas Bulletin , 4 (2), 169.
