How Safe Are Our Skies? Assessing the Airlines' Response to Terrorism

Subjects:

• Political Science » American Politics/Government
• Political Science » International Relations
• Military Studies » Military & Politics
• Business » Transportation

Reviews:

• ...exposes the US's ridiculous security efforts and fluently discusses aviation safety standards set by international aviation organizations (ICAO, IATA) and frequent US safety measures that fall short of those standards. A timely and valuable resource for anyone interested in aviation, political science, international relations, criminal justice, safety, security, transportation, or current affairs. Essential--collections supporting aviation programs. Highly recommended--high school and public libraries through professional collections.
  —Choice July/August 2003
• [P]rovides a thoughtful review of airline security post-9/11....How Safe Are Our Skies? asks pertinent questions in an intelligent way. It produces coherent (and sometimes disturbing) answers. I commend it to airlines, airport managements, regulators, the media and students of aviation safety and security.
  —Risk Management: An International Journal 2005
• [T]akes a hard and informative look at how safe it really is to fly in this modern day and age...How Safe Are Our Skies? is especially and particularly recommended reading for anyone concerned with the impact of contemporary air travel conditions, and especially for those frequent flyers genuinely concerned about the present and forseeable risks of domestic and international air travel.
  —The Bookwatch May 2003

• Endorsement From Peter St. John
  Professor of International Relations, University of Manitoba,
  and author, Air Piracy, Airport Security and International Terrorism: This book is a treasure trove of good air security advice to travelers and includes wake-up calls for security practitioners and governments. It's a must read for all three constituencies. Wallis takes the US airline industry to task for putting profit ahead of public safety, while whining over the lack of level playing field over price competition with its European rivals. Unlike the U.S., the Europeans have already invested in the requisite security technology. He gives solid advice to travelers about how to travel, where not to travel, and how to evaluate security systems at a glance. . . . Don't leave home without reading it.
• Endorsement From Paul Sheppard
  Director of Civil Aviation Security, Canada, 1979-1986: With more than 40 years experience in the management of civil aviation, Rodney Wallis is well placed to analyze the safety of today's aviation scene. His new book assesses civil air transport's vulnerability to airborne terrorism in general and that of the U.S. in particular post September 11. It will prove a valuable read to anyone connected with air transportation whether they are industry administrators or simply occasional airline passengers.

Table of Contents:

• The Personal Risk: How Safe Is It to Fly?
• Air Terrorism
• Governments Response to Air Terrorism: An Effective Approach or a Dangerous Myth?
• Practical Airport Security
• Airline Security
• In Flight Security
• Unexplained Crashes: Accidents or Terrorism?
• The Lessons: Past and Present
• How to Minimize the Personal Risk When Flying