Airports face a number of challenges when it comes to their perimeter and internal airport fencing requirements. Between 2004 and 2016 alone, 345 known perimeter security breaches happened across the United States of America at 31 airports. Whilst none of the incidents were terror-related the general view has been that active detection and surveillance allows a response time to capture the intruder before they can achieve any real damage to themselves or the estate and assets.
Sadly however, this isn’t the truth in many high-profile cases. In March 2016, Louis Pedro Verdasca dos Santos Costa, a 38-year-old Portuguese national broke through an airport security fence at Heathrow airport and locked himself inside an empty British Airways 747 passenger jet’s cockpit. Whilst in September of the same year, 9 protesters gained access to London City airport at 5:40am BST and proceeded to erect a tripod and “lock themselves together” on the main runway.
In both of these cases, and countless others; the security surveillance and detection procedures and systems eventually located the breach. However, it was too late to stop the intruders committing an act that induced high delay times and costs for the airport and a knock-on effect on the travelling passengers.
From accessing active runways through to threatening member of staff with weapons, it is apparent that the failure of the first line of defence is allowing groups and individuals the ability to cause disruption and delay. Current assessments place an airport perimeter breach occurring every 10 days across the USA.
It has never been more important to make sure that your airport fencing is of the highest standard to offer a guaranteed delay against attack both internally and externally.
Requirements for airport perimeter fencing?
In order to ensure airport security is upheld, there are UK regulations in place that look at a wide range of areas. This is to ensure that the safety of the premises, staff and travellers is maintained, and one crucial area of this is the regular reviewing of airport infrastructure security.
When it comes to providing airport perimeter fencing, we ensure that each system we design, manufacture and supply is of the highest possible standards. We are well aware of the risks that threaten airport security, which is why we are the only company in the world to offer a profiled security rated and non-security rated rigid mesh airport fencing system. Over the past 40 years, we have worked closely with airports across the UK to ensure each perimeter fencing we manufacture meets necessary requirements. With heights up to 3.0m, our unique airport fencing is designed to keep even the most persistent threats at bay.
Importance of airport perimeter fencing?
There are so many reasons why airport perimeter fencing is considered an essential aspect of airport security. Not least the fact that it outlines boundaries, but the right airport perimeter fencing will ensure the safety of those within, and those outside of the perimeter.
Good airport perimeter fencing acts as the very first line of defence against security risks, and so failure to install one that meets regulations and is sturdy and robust could see a greater volume of security breaches. As we have seen many times before, airport security breaches cannot only pose a risk to staff, passengers and visitors, but at the very least can cause delays and disruption – so it certainly pays to invest in the right airport perimeter fencing for you.
Types of airport perimeter fences
Here at CLD Fencing, we work with you throughout every point of your journey. This means that not only do we manufacture and design the ideal V Mesh fencing to suit your specific needs, but we will also install it for you too! Installation of any fencing – whether it be big or small – can be a challenge, particularly if you’ve never done anything like that before. That’s why our team of fencing solution experts are always on hand to guide, advise and do the hard bit for you, so that you can reap the benefits of safe and secure fencing faster.
How does Radio Transparent and Frangible Fencing work for Airports?
Airport fencing has a multitude of purposes, and as well as keeping people out, it is also paramount that it is safe to be used in a potentially dangerous environment. Having both radio transparent and frangible fencing in your airport is therefore essential, and here’s why:
- Radio transparency in airport fencing ensures there is no disturbance of radio signals from landing aid devices, nor with radars such as traffic controls.
- Frangible fencing, if collided with, with a break up into many fragments, making it less of a risk if there were to be a plane crash onsite.
GRP fencing such as that we manufacture here offers both frangible and radio transparent qualities that can provide you and your staff peace of mind that operations can go ahead without issue.
Why a perimeter fence is useful at an airport?
Airport fencing systems are a crucial element of architecture for keeping both the general public and the airports themselves safe. And – with airport security breaches on the rise year on year, the range of useful benefits that the right perimeter fencing can offer has never been more pertinent
Airports are a common target of criminal activity, whether that be harmless trespassing or more sinister terror-related crimes. That’s why perimeter fencing is usually featured as part of a wider set of security measures, including CCTV, manned security and layers of fencing to maintain order and control.
What sets perimeter fencing apart from these other security measures is they can easily be identified from a great distance and therefore serve as an effective visual deterrent. Strong, durable and designed to resist tampering they are also purpose-built to withstand the pressures of the environment.
How tall should a perimeter fence be at an airport?
When it comes to perimeter fencing for any environment, you need to be confident that the height and design will pose a significant challenge to anyone thinking of breaching security.
With perimeter fencing at airports, typically you can expect around 8 feet in height, with a sturdy design which doesn’t feature any notable areas where someone might grip on to climb over.
To find out more about the specifics of our perimeter fencing for airports – get in touch with our team.
