There will be many more terrorist attacks according to a security expert at the airline industry's AGM in Vancouver.
Deputy secretary of the US department of Homeland Security, Michael Jackson, says the airline industry must figure out ways to make the security environment challenging and robust to deter terrorists.
CEO of Virgin Atlantic steve Ridgway ays there are major gaps in the security picture.
While a lot of time and money is spent screening passengers, he says one area which is wide open to attack is actual aircraft. He says an example of one particular threat is shoulder-fired missiles from airport boundaries and it is difficult to see how that can be guarded against.
Ridgway believes an aircraft can be easily attacked from anywhere.
President of New Age Security Solutions Rafi Ron says the profile of a terrorist has changed dramatically in the last decade. He says they will use babies and elderly people to carry out attacks. He believes more sophisticated methods should be used to identify high-risk passengers such as more data being available.
The panel of industry experts also discussed the conflict between security and customer service.
Ridgway says he is frustrated that while airlines spend millions of dollars upgrading their planes with features such as lie flat beds and improved cabin features, passengers are having an "evil experience" when travelling through airport security. He says airlines take the flack for that.
However, he says equally, airlines have to make sure it is safe to travel.
Samer Majail, CEO of Royal Jordanian says airlines have lost a lot of passengers who would rather travel by other means for shorter distance travel because of the hassle of going through airport security. He says airlines are paying the price every day of increased security measures.
Jackson denies claims that terrorists have already won through disruptions and costs to economies and airlines. He says they have exacted a monumentally large price from the world in terms of global economies but he says there has been a resolve to fight terrorism and protect industries, values, way of life and culture in a way that makes terrorism a sustained focus for the world to deal with.
Jackson says 9/11 was a galvanising moment which has changed behaviour in industries and governments around the globe.
"I think there has been some good to come of it."
