Cost-benefit analysis of aviation security

On 19 February 2009 the Dominion Post reported on a review of domestic aviation security in New Zealand dating from July 2008 that had recently been released to it under the Official Information Act. This review followed the attempted hijacking of a commuter aircraft in which the two pilots were seriously injured.

Commenting on this report and the review, Liberty Scott has posted that what is needed is a full benefit-cost assessment.

What this might involve was the subject of a Round Table on Security, Risk Perception and Cost-Benefit Analysis held by the Paris-based International Transport Forum (ITF) on 11-12 December 2008 at which the following discussion papers were presented:

• Toward Risk-Based Aviation Security Policy by Robert Poole from the Reason Foundation
• Economic Impact Analysis of Terrorism Events: Recent Findings and Methodological Advances by Gordon, Moore and Richardson from CREATE, University of Southern California
• Rational Behaviour, Risk Aversion - High Stakes for Society by Palma from France

Separately Bruce Schneier in a 21 July 2008 weblog post points to research by Stewart, from the University of Newcastle in Australia, and Mueller:

• Assessing the risks, cost and benefits of United States aviation security measures in 2008.

I was fortunate enough to be able to visit the flight decks of a number of airliners while on long-haul journeys before increased security sadly made this impossible.