FIGURE 5: The airside area of an airport is strictly controlled and entirely non-public. Imagine the serious ramifications
if a terrorist or perpetrator were to gain physical access to a plane scheduled for take-off.
July/August 2019 I 25
of the airport is identified as any area that is beyond
the TSA security screening checkpoint (SSCP) inside
the terminals and any defined perimeter elements
(e.g., fencing, walls, other boundaries). This includes
taxiways, runways, aprons, aircraft parking, staging
areas, and most facilities, such as hangars that store,
service and maintain aircraft. For operational,
geographic, safety, or security reasons, various other
types of facilities, such as tenant and cargo facilities,
may be located within the airside of the airport facility
as well.
The airside generally includes security areas to which
certain requirements apply under 49 CFR 1542. These
areas include secured areas, the air operations area
(AOA), and the security identification display area
(SIDA). These portions of the airside must be
entirely non-public.
Based on these guidelines, if the outer boundary
consists of the physical perimeter fence line, anything
between this fence line and security screening stations
is recognized as the airside of the airport. In this case,
the actual physical fence line at the minimum would
need to incorporate the elements of deter, detect, deny,
and delay to support a security-in-depth strategy. It is
essential to identify the presence of the following
elements when evaluating the airside boundaries
of an airport:
• Dangerous or hazardous areas that could affect the
safety or security of a parked or moving aircraft
• Concealed and overgrown areas that could hide
persons or objects that might endanger aircraft
or critical airport systems
• Adjacent facilities that have proprietary security
concerns and provisions (e.g., correctional, military,
or other facilities that could affect or be affected
by the proximity of airside operations)
• Natural features, large metal structures
and buildings or electronics facilities that
might affect ground or aircraft communications,
navigational, and surveillance systems
• Adjacent facilities, such as schools, hotels, parks,
or community areas, public parking spaces,
and industrial buildings, which are in proximity
of airside operations
• Perimeter exposures that are bounded by large
tracts of open fields, river basins, or wooded tracts
that can increase the possibility of concealment
of individuals by providing areas of refuge. These
areas may also house large populations of wildlife
and create security vulnerabilities.