Aviation Security International is delighted to commence the serialisation of a short aviation security mystery...
TransGlobe Air Flight 402 by Owen Lawrence
TransGlobe Air Headquarters, London, England S
ix thirty am. The telephone on Simon’s desk was ringing as he flicked on the lights in his office. “TransGlobe Security” he
answered, yawning and stretching for his coffee with his free hand. “Simon. It’s John. I have something I need to talk to you about.”
Simon sat up straight, suddenly alert. John’s tone wasn’t his usual civil servant amiability, and it was too early in the morning for a routine chat. “I’m all ears,” he said, grabbing a notepad. “There is some intel that you should know
about. We have a credible threat to a flight. We’re not sure which airline, but we’re letting you and the other Heads of Security know so that you can be on the look-out.” “Do you know the destination? And who and what we should be looking for?” “We have a solid source that says it will be London to the US or Canada, today. The group in question is thought to be behind some of the more radical actions of the Occupy movement. This would be a real step up for them. There is no indication of their intent at this stage, but unlikely suicide if they are trying to make a point, rather than endanger lives. Probably a publicity stunt.” “Anything else you can give me?” “Not yet, but brief your team, and we’ll stay in
touch. I’m contacting Heathrow now.” Simon put the telephone back in its receiver and frowned. They had received several bomb threats over the past weeks, the sort of pranks that some people liked to play for entertainment, but this one felt different. If the government was involved and there was serious intelligence, he would put everyone on high alert. He drafted an email to the executive team, copying Crisis Response and snapped his laptop shut. If he left now, he could miss most of the traffic to the airport and be on-site to brief all of the transatlantic crew for the day. He pulled the flight schedule from his wall. The first flight out to the US departed in three hours, so he still had time. There were eleven flights in total, seven destined to the US and four to Canada. As he jog- walked to his car, he reached for his cell phone and called ahead to the duty manager.
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“Cheryl? Hi, it’s Simon. Listen, can you pull reservations lists for all the US and Canada bound flights today? Paper copy for me and electronic copy to send to the Department. I’ll fill you in when I get there.” Heathrow was a hive of activity when he
arrived. All the early flights were departing and the lines at security were already starting to build. Simon cast a look up and down the lines, a sea of people and baggage. Some were searching for documents and papers, some looking bored or tired. Every age, nationality and race stood in line, waiting to be screened. In the Crew Briefing Centre, flight deck officers were busily checking emails and discussing flight plans, while cabin crew were preparing for briefings and catching up with friends from previous trips. Charlotte Blakey was in the bathroom, staring at herself in the mirror. She was still unused to seeing herself in so much makeup, red hair scraped into a French plait, immaculate white shirt. This would only be her second round trip, and she felt a nervousness in the pit of her stomach. She’d be serving on a flight to Montreal, Canada today. She’d never been to Canada before, in fact she’d never really been anywhere, which was one of the reasons she’d applied for the job. She’d taken the training very seriously, excelling at the safety training and studying hard to make sure she remembered everything. She was naturally tall and slim, and kept herself in shape, so the physical side had been fairly straightforward for her. Deep breaths, she told herself, and headed off to the briefing room. Captain Davidson was already in the room, speaking quietly to Simon who she recognised as the airline’s head of security. He had a serious look on his face and was nodding as Simon briefed him. They broke off as the rest of the crew filed in. “Good morning, Ladies and Gents,” the Captain
began, “we have a special guest this morning,” motioning Simon forward. “I want you to pay careful attention. We have reason to believe that someone may be attempting to interfere with one of our flights today. We do not believe there is any reason to cancel or postpone at this stage, but we would like you all to stay extra-vigilant.”
June 2013 Aviationsecurityinternational
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