Landside attacks and drone intrusions pose security concern for airports
March 4, 2025
Landside attacks and drone intrusions have been identified as major security challenges for airports by Airports Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Middle East (MID).
Representatives from the airport trade body warned of the security threats during the 9th Annual Technical and Operational Meeting (ATOM) of the Cooperative Aviation Security Programme – Asia Pac (CASP-AP) held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia last week.
The CASP-AP, an initiative of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), aims to provide technical assistance to countries in the Asia-Pacific region, enhancing and enforcing aviation security compliance.
Gary Leung, senior manager of security and facilitation for ACI APAC highlighted the rising threats of landside attacks and drone intrusions during that meeting. He called for greater collaboration between airport operators and government regulators to improve security frameworks and response systems.
Landside security concerns
Leung stressed that landside security remains a critical issue, given the complexities of managing large crowds, the limitations of airport infrastructure design and the need for coordinated efforts among multiple stakeholders during emergencies. Additionally, he pointed out that insufficient blast mitigation measures continue to present risks in public areas with airport premises.
Growing threat of drone intrusions
With drones becoming more accessible, unauthorised drone intrusions have become nearly unavoidable, Leung noted, citing the 2018 Gatwick incident, which led to a shutdown of operations for days, causing significant disruption and financial losses.
Recent data from ACI APAC and MID shows that regional airports have experienced similar unauthorised drone incursions, some resulting in operational disruptions.
While anti-drone technologies offer some protection in detecting and intercepting drones, the ACI APAC & MID Regional Aviation Security Committee (RASC) concluded that no single technology eliminates this threat. The regional office is continuing its collaboration with airports through RASC to develop and improve counter-drone strategies.
