AVSEC (Aviation Security)

Aviation security is deliberately distinct from aviation safety. Safety concerns accidental harm — mechanical failure, weather, human error — while security concerns deliberate, hostile acts intended to disrupt or destroy civil aviation. AVSEC measures therefore include passenger and baggage screening, cargo and supply-chain security, control of airside access, vetting of personnel, perimeter protection and the protective response to specific threats against aircraft and airport infrastructure.

The framework for AVSEC is set internationally by ICAO through Annex 17 to the Chicago Convention, which establishes Standards and Recommended Practices that contracting states translate into national law and procedures. The discipline spans government regulators, airport operators, airlines, ground-handling agents and security services, and it adapts continuously as the threat picture evolves — from in-flight hijacking and sabotage to insider threats, standoff attacks and the targeting of aircraft on the ground.

Because AVSEC is intelligence-driven, it depends on a current understanding of who and what might threaten an operation and where. Aviation security intelligence platforms such as AeroVigil support this picture by consolidating advisories, incidents and airspace warnings so security teams can assess threats against specific routes, airports and stations.