Aviation security incidents
-
The report year recorded an exceptionally high number of attacks on civilian airports in war zones. For example, Russia had to suspend air traffic at various airports multiple times a day due to drone attacks. To ensure that fedpol’s analysis provides a situation assessment relevant to Switzerland, attacks on Russian airports have been excluded from the present report, since Swiss airlines are not permitted to fly to Russian airports.
-
Quantity vs. quality: A high number of incidents does not necessarily indicate a corresponding increase in the threat level. However, it does highlight the fact that civil aviation is regularly affected by security-related incidents. A qualitative analysis of various incidents confirms this assessment.
Data set:
The data set is based on the Information System operated by fedpol. This system tracks all events relevant to aviation security known to fedpol. The information system draws on hundreds of sources. Nevertheless, the data set is incomplete. For example, events from Switzerland are overrepresented because they are subject to mandatory reporting under the NASP (National Civil Aviation Security Programme). Similarly, incidents from countries with open media coverage are overrepresented compared to countries with censored reporting. fedpol estimates that the actual figures are about ten times higher.
Attacks targeting civil aviation:
An attack against civil aviation is defined as a violent attack against civil aviation and its facilities, as well as against people present there, which is primarily aimed at destruction and devastation. Depending on the perpetrators’ motives and objectives, an attack may target deliberately selected targets or individuals who happen to be present. This category includes, for example, attacks using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) or CBRN weapons at airports or on-board aircrafts, attacks on aircraft using external gunfire, aircraft hijackings, and the perpetration of a massacre on board an aircraft, etc.
Other aviation security-related incidents:
All other incidents relevant to aviation security are defined as events that have a negative impact on the security of civil aviation—regardless of whether they involve acts of violence.