Serious security breach at Madrid Barajas Airport
 

You may find the offical info on the net but this is the real story from inside.

Two youngers, aged 16 and 19, got into Madrid Barajas airport Terminal 3 airside. They were able to get into an Air Europa B737, broke security seal, openned the aircraft door and got some fun inside for some hours (used life vests, damage to the cockpit and crapped into the captains seat, yes, they did), damage accounted around 30.000 euros.

This could be somehow normal, what is not normal is that they were inside the airport for 4 hours, maintenace went to the aircraft to leave tech log books and found all the mess, advised security and the searched started. The guys were found quite later already outside the terminal trying to steal a car. There were no security cameras in use in that area, security personnel lied about the security checks and police had to use rest of the airport cameras to find out what these guys did.

So, what do you think?

So, what do you think?

Hey this is Spain.:E

Sack the security guys on duty at that moment. End.

Wrong. Sack the incompetent :mad: at the top.

I have told the story before, but following a few extremely un-attentive 'crew security' passages at BCN (reported to company and un-actioned by BCN) I invited my crew to watch (discretely) as I successfully transited the outbound checkpoint with a credit card in the i/d holder on my uniform.:)

FL380
 

It´s really sad to read such a post. I don´t blame the USA for the Boston attack because the FBI investigated one of the brother terrorist and they did nothing to prevent the muder of several victims...

Security is not perfect all the time... it can happen from time to time despite our efforts.

No surprises
 

I was based in Madrid for two years, actually, security through the pax route is quite good. ( we had to go through the pax route)

What was terrible was the security outside the terminals. The Spanish have a breathtaking disregard for parking regulations and restrictions, they can park where no one else would dream or dare to. My wife was a close protection officer in a previous life, she used to count the number of cars left unattended right outside terminal 1 when she was dropping me off for work. In her humble opinion, there were often in excess of 20 cars empty which could be jam packed with explosives. The result of one or more going up would be catostrophic.....!

If you think that she is over reacting, look back to the bombs at Atocha rail station a few years earlier in central Madrid.

I'm quite surprised that these lads made it through to airside, the Spanish police carry guns and would, I kid you not, shot the buggers if they had tried to leg it... These two were obviously idiots in every respect. Most airports have weak areas that anyone could breech should they care to....... Just not sure you would want to chose a Spanish airport to do it...

The seats are used to it if the captains in Air Europa are anything like some of the capts I fly with. Flying along happily and then suddenly my nostrils are filled with the overwhelming effects of barotrauma. I'm guilty of it too of course - disguised with a lean and look out of the DV.

Joking apart, there are times I'd like to take a cheeky crap in the captains seat.;)

Like a Picture of a Sieve
 

Unfortunately, almost all 'security' is for show there are multiple ways to bypass or cause security problems as anyone who has tested these 'security systems' will tell you. The real problem is when even the show is not believable :uhoh: and even the SLF start to realize that they are doing the grope'n-fly for no real benefit. :*

Here we go again slashing out at Spain
 

Come on, moderator do your job. The incessant attacks against everything spanish is discriminating, racial and un-called for. Lets not talk about british hooligans and how they got to be the way they are....
Security Measures ? World-wide it is a disgrace and mostly inefficient.
I' d also add that the comment ref: Boston is also way way way out of place.
Is this an aviation related site ?
Come on pruners:ugh:

Well, I´m spanish and I can say that the country actually sucks, the politians sucks, CAA has and still :mad: us around a lot. I´ve worked in aiports before when we had almost a terrorist attack or assasination everyday and were, by far, more secure than today with all that crapping security around sold by the brits and the americans.

I wish old times could come back again, because I would take those two guys to eat all the :mad: they left behind.

The point has been made that security is never perfect, like everything else in life.
As regards the FBI involvement (or lack of) in the Boston case, well a conspiracy theorist might see politics involved somewhere.
Anyway, the point I would make here is that if we obsess about security to our own cost, we end up doing half the terrorist's work for them.
If a couple of smack head toe rags slip through, is it really time to re-jig the world's security proceedures?
Still I bet the chance was missed to administer some suitable advice round the car park...
And I bet they don't get unlimited detention at Guantanamo Hotel.

Several years ago I was working in Italy. My wife was 8.75 months pregnant at the time. She called me - the baby was on its' way. I figured if I made a swift journey I could get to the airport and board an earlier flight than the one my pre-printed boarding pass would let me on. Traffic was bad, and I got there 20 mins before scheduled departure. I raced through security, showing a scrap of paper that turned out not to be my boarding card, had a very elementary security screen (ran through metal detector carrying my bag) and got the last bus to the plane. It was only the lovely hostie at the door that realised that I'd got that far waving a piece of paper and not a boarding pass. I grinned, waved my gold card, a phone call was made, the Captain came out and we had a quick chat, and off I went back to London.:\

Back in the eighties, I was seconded to a Base Workshop, the manning of which was 90% civilian, 10% military (I was one of the 10%). The security was provided by MoD Policemen and we were never surprised by the "identification" which allowed us to access the secure compound. Flashing a pack of Embassy Number 1 cigarettes always worked, a Mickey Mouse Club card worked as well but the best was a home made ID card naming the holder as "Elizabeth Windsor" with a picture, taken from a glossy magazine, of Her Majesty the Queen.... The fact that the person using the card was 6 foot 4 inches tall, bearded and spoke with a Glaswegian accent was neither here nor there....

If it hadn't been so serious, it would have been a laugh.....

Personally, I think we should stop the charade that security checks will ever stop a terrorist and get rid of it. Let's think about it, not one single terrorist has been stopped by the security guys at an airport, however they have allowed numerous terrorists and bombs through - the underpants bomber, the shoe bomber, the bomb in a laser toner, to name but a few.

However (if) when plots are foiled, it's usually due to intelligence gained, so if we imagine the cost of security at airports, with their scanners and personnel costs, add to that the inconvenience of waiting for 30 minutes to be scanned (an hour plus at some airports), we could easily scrap airport security, double the number of intelligence staff whilst making air travel an enjoyable experience once more, from start to finish......

' it's usually due to intelligence gained'

Which is where the real security work is.