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Australia’s airports are ever-changing creations, always updating with new runways or new terminals, and mundane improvements like changing check-in procedures, redesigns and rebrands.
Alongside those, new airlines tempt growing numbers of passengers, and there’s an expectation and constant push for a safer and better customer experience.
As an integral part of the overall airport experience, security is both a highly visible and a largely discrete operation, monitoring all aspects of passenger and cargo transit around the airport, while liaising with security services to prevent protests, violence and other issues that could bring any airport grinding to a halt.
Improvements in Airport Security
Among the visible changes, most airports now use 3D CT scanners to check baggage, full body scanners for passengers, and security lane processes are being improved to speed up passenger throughput. The use of AI in the scanning process helps make these ever faster and more reliable, reduces the need for pat-downs and eliminates the embarrassment factor for many fliers.
And while 99.9% of passengers are harmless on their way to whatever destination, security staff must constantly focus on outliers, perhaps attempting a repeat of the Avalon security breach that triggered a major safety review.
Behind the scenes in the control room, airport security teams have access to more powerful and flexible physical security systems. They use AI to highlight abnormal behaviour from any of the 100s of cameras the second something happens, helping security teams respond faster, in an appropriate way and with more information than traditional systems.
Mobility means the teams get live feeds of whatever is taking place, and can summon more resources as needed, or deescalate the vast majority of incidents thanks to greater situational awareness.
Security systems also integrate with other security layers, be it identifying suspicious vehicles beyond the airport perimeter or in a car park, linking them to the passenger or visitors. And then
gaining support from wider Federal Police or other agencies to identify risks and emerging threats before they ever get near an airport.
The Increasing Role of Technology in Security Operations
Airport security managers and teams run to a regular schedule which varies from peak chaos to quiet hours, all while maintaining a high-stakes blend of vigilance, coordination, and rapid decision-making.
Security technology across information systems, monitoring and back-office services all help, and improve with AI and cloud technology.
They cross all aspects from morning and shift briefings, to daily monitoring and oversight, upto standards compliance. All to ensure that every aspect of airport security runs smoothly and in compliance with local, national and global aviation standards.
All systems, scanners and IT elements are regularly tested and updated live via the cloud, which is why issues like the Cloudstrike outage of 2024 have caused changes in many airport operational procedures.
Databases of information and activity or productivity dashboards provide information from the mundane to support managing staffing levels. While security imagery and agency insights help teams review recent or ongoing incidents, and highlight any alerts from government agencies.
Similarly, IT helps security managers conduct routine audits to identify vulnerabilities, be they demonstrated in physical infrastructure, staff behavior, or digital systems. They ensure that all protocols align with the latest Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) regulations.
Training sessions and refreshes are also typically IT-led and may be scheduled to reinforce procedures or introduce new technologies. They can use animated examples, live digital video and interactive VR training to bring greater realism to reinforce training.
Summary
Australia’s airports continue to invest heavily in advanced security systems from AI-powered scanners to cloud-based monitoring tools, to stay ahead of evolving threats and deliver a safer, faster passenger experience.
With 3D CT baggage screening, full-body scanners, and real-time behavioural analytics, security teams can respond swiftly and discreetly to typical airport incidents and unusual behaviour before it becomes a serious event.
Integrated systems now link all types of activity, surveillance to help security teams keep airports safe, but they can never sit still as more technology arrives and current applications add new features. All security teams should keep informed on aviation tech trends, learn how AI is reshaping airport safety, and how it improves their roles and operations
