Security of airline crews during their hotel stay is vital. Heightened security is necessary in all aspects of a crew’s hotel experience. When we look closer, the hotel plays an important part in efficient airline operations.
A shuttle service drops off the crew at the hotel at a scheduled time. The crew checks in and sometimes receives a cash allowance distributed by the receptionist. Crew members then go to their rooms and often order room service. Some airlines do not allow crews to use the hotel bar (not even for a glass of water) or to leave the premises.
What else do we know about airline crews?
The hotel is a safe haven for airline crews and the only place to rest before embarking on their next flight. Therefore, it is important the hotel takes all necessary steps to avoid any intrusion into the crew’s privacy and to prevent sabotage of flight plans. This is essential also in order to avoid any awkward compensation charges against the hotel after an adverse incident. Global hotel security standards help to minimise the risks. Sufficient CCTV recording, electronic door locks, security procedures, regular security walks and do-not-disturb signs are just a few important security features an international airline looks for in a hotel.
Assessing the risks
Airline crews are usually trouble free, easy to handle and guarantee the hotel a regular occupancy. Their stays can easily be viewed as routine and ‘business as usual.’ This can result in complacency in identifying new risk factors that could potentially impact the crew’s safety. The biggest risk is when the assumption is made that crews are less likely to be at risk or less likely a risk than are other travelers. In making such an assumption, potential risks increase for hotels. It is recommended that security managers review the security plan for airline crews closely in their next risk assessment.
Global hotel security standards
Sky Touch Global Hotel Security Consulting has identified over 33 global hotel security standards for airline crews. These include:
- Lift landings and staircases (or access to staircase) are CCTV monitored
- Safety & security in bedrooms is of a high standard
- Staff are instructed to never leave a guest bedroom door open during cleaning
- An appropriate security response plan is established
- Cards that list basic safety tips in the hotel are provided to each crew member
- Monitors that show guest profile information are secured from unlawful viewing
- Guest room lists are not left in places that the general public can access
- Replacement key cards for any guest is only issued when ID is provided
- The guest name along with the room number does not appear on the breakfast card
- Serious crimes against crew members are reported to the police and the airline.
Wild card
Since September 11, 2001 there have been a number of initiatives implemented to minimize the risk of a plane being hijacked. Security at airports has been improved,cockpit doors in civil aircrafts have been replaced and the security awareness of people working in this area is better than ever before. However, it is well known that there is a persistent terrorist threat and there are concerns that weaknesses in the system could be exploited.
A wild card describes a worst-case scenario and is effectively a wakeup call, in this case for the hotel industry. The following wild card is a potential weakness in the system that could be exploited.
” ‘Early bird’ breakfast buffets for airline crews are often in hotel lobbies. This area is not always guarded or CCTV monitored. Everyone can have easy access to the lobby making it vulnerable, especially in the early hours of the morning when there are only a few staff on duty. There is a potential risk that someone could poison the food in the buffet. The effects may not be noticed until the airline crew is airborne and then it could be too late. The worst-case scenario is when the pilots are incapacitated. The consequences in this scenario would be catastrophic.”
The German government is currently discussing if their military should have the authority to shoot down a civil plane. If the wild card scenario presented above becomes a reality and the military has the power to bring down a civil plane many lives would be lost. In Germany a law was drafted that would give the military authority to bring down planes, however the Federal Constitutional Court recently rejected it. This issue won’t go away though. The German government has been debating this matter since 2006.
Conclusion
We live in times when airline incidents are broadcast worldwide and virtually instantaneously in the media. Any incident of security failure involving an airline crew in a hotel would be of great concern to the airline industry and also cause damage to the image of the hotel industry. The security of airline crews in hotels should be a priority.
About the author
Stefan Vito Hiller is the Founder & Managing Director of Sky Touch – Global Hotel Security Consulting. He has over 20 years international experience in the hotel industry, including five years specifically in security.
His hotel experience includes rooms division management, pre-opening, fire, health & safety, risk management & cost control. He has worked for leading hotel brands in Munich, Frankfurt, Bremen, Berlin, Cork, Edinburgh and Doha in the Middle East.
He graduated in 2002 as a Hotel Management Consultant at the Steigenberger Hotel Management School. He gained valuable experience as a Cost Controller at the Sheraton Hotel & Towers at Frankfurt Airport. He worked three years in Ireland where he built on his experience as a former volunteer fire officer and became a qualified IOSH Health & Safety Officer. He effectively combined the field of Health & Safety with his Assistant Manager positions.
Stefan now consults to hotels to implement innovative and affordable strategies to raise their level of security to meet growing global demands.
