Let Private Firms Compete to Provide Airline Security
This is Arnold Kling and Nick Schulz in USA Today:
One firm might rely heavily on passenger interviews, as the Israeli airline El-Al is known for. Another firm might rely more on the latest scanning technology. Companies might vary their rules for boarding and carry-on luggage by passenger risk category — low-risk passengers could take their liquids and gels and keep their shoes on, while high-risk passengers would have to check such items or scan them…
Competition will force even the lowest-quality provider to raise standards year after year by adopting the good ideas that emerge from their competitors. This is why even a cheap automobile today has more amenities than a luxury car of 30 years ago.
The problem I see with this approach is that an airline with weak security presents a security risk for the entire country. Suppose airline A’s approach doesn’t work and terrorists slip aboard. They hijack the plane and crash it into a building. It’s not the airline who pays the biggest price. I’m not saying our current approach can’t be improved, nor am I saying that airline security needs to be a government run operation, but I’m not sure that having each airline do it’s own thing is a good solution.
Good point made by J Howe. However, wouldn’t we want the other security firms to innovate with counter measures to contain the weak link? A weak link could develop in the existing system. The rest of the system needs incentives to contain the damage or the threat.
I think I agree with Bret.