The interception of Ryanair flight FR4978 – which was diverted to Belarus to arrest a journalist that opposes the regime of President Lukashenko – was severely condemned by the international community.

While the increase in security measures and passenger controls post-9/11 has helped with threats such as hijacking, the incident showed that vulnerabilities to interference with flights remain. We find out what procedures are in place for airports to respond to such incidents, and whether the response can be improved.

To combat aviation pollution, Munich Airport has recently launched refuelling with green kerosene. We speak to the airport operator about the project and explore the potential benefits of this aviation fuel. 

We also catch up with some of the airports leading the way in automated baggage handling, find out how airport and airline operators can protect themselves from cyberattacks, and ask what the downgrading of Mexico’s safety rating by the US Federal Aviation Authority means for the country’s aviation sector. 

Plus, we catch up with Medical Detection Dogs about a project using sniffer dogs to detect Covid-19 cases and the potential of this new role for sniffer dogs in airport security.

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The AIR team