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Left: Baghdad International Airport. Right: A DHL aircraft was hit in a MANPADS attack on departure from Baghdad International Airport in November 2003.


to professional pursuits and organisational operations. Participants expressed the importance of knowledge transfer between industries in Iraq leading to accurate risk estimates with regards to prior experience on the development of risk perceptions. The results also indicated the importance of controlling personal experiences or knowledge of confirmed risk events as they do affect the risk management process in achieving the required objectivity. However, the results equally implied that when dealing with security matters, the contribution of subjectivity can deliver a more truthful risk estimate. The argument of subjectivity in the risk assessment process may inhibit Iraq’s aviation security practitioners from being able to proactively identify new forms of threat and risk. This is likely to be the case for the civil aviation industry in general; however, it is more dominant for


measures in place are perceived to lack consistency and are reactive in nature. Participants explained that a general lack of confidence existed in many of the security measures deployed by the industry. Participants were able to specify a number of risks for Iraq’s civil aviation industry, which included the reliability and qualifications of security agencies and staff to carry out the international regulatory requirements of ICAO. The results indicated a higher level of confidence in the participants using peers and industry contacts as sources of dependable information for Iraq. Other risks related to the existence of organised crime and corruption within the civil aviation sector. These risks are perceived to be linked to the larger scale security issues in Iraq.


Iraq’s


air transport system where rebuilding the confidence of industry and the travelling public is a principal requirement at this time. Participants described the main risks in Iraq


as relating to terrorist and organised crime activity due to political and social instability in the region. There were no significant differences between the lay and professional groups, potentially indicating that subconscious awareness of generic risks exist as a result of mass-media risk communication strategies concerning Iraq. The results demonstrated that participants gather information to contribute to the formation of risk estimates through peers, colleagues, and friends as well as through open source media. However, open source media was generally perceived to be limited in its validity and therefore should be validated through other means. This result is pertinent in that whilst the media is recorded to have limited influence on risk perception among the participants, it is evident in the subsequent response elements that broad-base knowledge of Iraq has been acquired through public risk communication forms such as the media. This goes toward further maintaining that risk perception is hinged to modern-day matters that are easily recalled from memory as evidenced by issues of aviation security. In terms of civil aviation, the participants expressed that, internationally, security


December 2012 Aviationsecurityinternational


Conclusion Whilst there has been mild improvement in the security environment of Iraq, the Iraqi government needs to understand the correlation between the development and improvements of their aviation security with growth of their economies (The New Iraq, 2009). The research highlighted how necessary it is for government, industry and individuals to understand the complexities of risk. The acceleration of demands for air, sea and land transportation systems in Iraq is predicated at this time on ensuring that accurate individual and organisational risk assessment takes place. It is for this reason that the research was particularly important by way of committing to the cause of rebuilding Iraq’s critical infrastructure. A significant amount of work remains for the Iraqi civil aviation industry in treating the risks and managing perceptions. Tourism and trade will naturally follow from foreign airlines providing air transport services to Iraq. This will unavoidably be predicated on Iraqi authorities being able to demonstrably manage the expectations of foreign regulators and airlines. The expansion of Iraqi air transport supply chains with other countries is vital for further developing domestic stability in Iraq; therefore making it a matter of orienting efforts toward what can be controlled and performance managed as opposed to indirect conditions that negatively affect the industry.


The research indicated its limitations in


relation to examining the risk perceptions of a small sample group. However, it was evident that participants believe that the Iraqi civil aviation authority cannot meaningfully reduce the intent of those who threaten and continue to commit acts of terrorism against Iraq’s critical infrastructure. Notionally, the research results imply that acts of terrorism will inevitably be perceived by the effectiveness of the attack and not the intent of the actor. More needs to be done to leverage expert communication channels to enhance the civil aviation industry’s understanding that international security standards apply throughout Iraq in a reliable and intense manner.


Matthew Vaughan is the Head of Aviation Security (Acting) for Etihad Airways, the national carrier for the United Arab Emirates. He has over 12 years’ security management experience in law


enforcement, Federal Government security and private industry sectors


Bibliography § Annex 17. (9th Edition, 2011). International Civil Aviation Organisation. Montreal, Canada.


§ Commonwealth of Australian. (2009). Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. Australian Aviation Security Risk Context Statement.


§ Drake, J. (2011). Global Intake.AKE. London, United Kingdom, www. akegroup.com (as accessed on 7 July 2011).


§ Iraq Insights. (2011). Ideas Synergy. Boston, United States of America. http://www.iraq-businessnews.com/2011/07/11/iraq-insights-july- 2011-private-sector-in-iraq-creating-jobs/ (as accessed on 7 July 2011).


§ Iraq-Business News. (2011). Iraq Needs Strategies to Improve Prospects for Youth – UN Envoy. Baghdad, Iraq. http://www.iraq-businessnews. com/2011/07/18/iraq-needs-strategies-to-improve-prospects-for- youth-%e2%80%93-un-envoy/. (as accessed on 19 July 2011)


§ Mullins, J. (2010). Management and Organisational Behavior. Pearson Education Limited. English, United Kingdom


§ Salomonsson, D. (2008). ‘An examination of the business continuity management and risk management processes in a five star London hotel. Unpublished Dissertation. University of Leicester.


§ The New Iraq. (2010). National Investments Commission and UK Trade and Investment. Allurentis Limited. London, United Kingdom.


§ The Royal Society. (2011). London, United Kingdom. www.asi-mag.com 37


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