How can we categorically prevent terrorists, using cellphones as remote triggers, from blowing up planes???

Question

There are already two airlines in Europe testing full cellphone services on passenger aircraft. Various airlines around the world are now considering the same service. The FAA and other agencies are still in the process of working out the bugs so that passengers can use all the features of their phones to make and receive calls. Cell phones, as is well known, are used by terrorists as remote triggers to detonate bombds -- used in Madrid in 2004, and almost daily in Iraq, Afghanistan etc to detonate IEDs.

So, what is being done to make sure, absolutely, that no terrorist can ever use a cell phone to detonate a bomb on a plane?

Response to mad_g8tr: your answer is good, very good -- but still not categorical, as you say.

If never categorical, then one day, a terrorist bomb will get through. The problem must be solved ABSOLUTELY to make sure that never happens.

Answer 1

Other than the EM shielding, you could use the cellular network itself. Let's think of the airplane itself as one single 'cell' in the cellular network. That is, one tower, and all the phones talking through that tower are on the plane. Since each ticket is tied to a person with a valid ID, each valid (good guy) cell phone account should be owned by that person on the plane ticket. When the person buys a ticket on a 'cell'-equipped flight, the names on the passenger manifest can be X-referenced with the passenger supplied handset numbers plus the handset ID and owner ID reported by the network that hosts that number. Since each handset has a unique identifier linked to a owner's account, this can be done through the cell network automatically when the airplane 'cell' activates, and it can be done before allowing any calls to be placed. If the handset owner doesn't match the ticketholder then no service for you. If it's a prepaid phone (anonymous phone) then no service for you. This doesn't neccessarily catch the bad guys, but it makes it a harder for them to achieve their goals.

Ok, so let's say there's 3 types of calls that could potentially be used to activate a cell-b*mb: 1) call from passenger to bag in compartment, 2) call from ground to bag in compartment, and 3) call from ground to passenger.

case 1: Deny calls from one user in the airplane 'cell' to another user in the airplane 'cell'. Seriously, are people really that lazy anyway?

case 2: Here the EM shielding should save the day. You could also deny any calls/signals coming from the cargo area. (there are multiple ways to do this using various detectors, discriminators, etc.)

case 3: Other than checking each call attempt against some huge database of "legit" non-terrorist phone numbers (not very practical), you can hedge your bets with the airport security detecting the b*mb on the passenger before he boards. You really don't have a choice here.

For any situation like this I don't think there is a way to provide categorical prevention. However, adding additional layers of security within the system can make it much much harder and more technologically impractical for the bad guys to even try it. Here, not only do they have to beat the multiple ID inquires, but they have to beat the cell system AND (contain your laughter) airport security. The weak link is the human factor at the airport. But, if the scanners and detectors work as advertised, we should probably be ok. As for airport personnel, talk to the TSA about that one.

Answer 2

Allowing for cell phone use by the passengers, you could shield the baggage area from the frequencies that cell phones operate on. Since the cabin area of an airliner is always above the baggage storage, the shielding wouldn't block the passengers cell phones.
Shielding can be accomplished in 2 ways. 1 would be to line the baggage compartment with a waveplate, a sheet of metal with holes in it that reflect specific frequencies of radiowaves. The other method is to use electronic jamming, generate radiowaves at the frequencies cell phones use, that are much stronger than those used by cell phones, essentially drowning out any incoming signals. This might play havok with the aircrafts Inertial Navigation System(INS) and the passengers cell phone usage though. This system is being used by the Pakistani government, and has prevented at least 3 remotely triggered bombs from detonating.

Answer 3

Airport security-
Well, how do you get a bomb into an airplane in the first place? In this case, we should keep airport security very high. Mind you, even in the 9/11 incedents, they did not use bombs- the terrorist bomb attacks only are possible on land, not in airplanes
I guess you could use a cell phone in the airplane to detonate a bomb on land, but that would be the same as doing it on land.

Answer 4

we can not stop a remote detonation device. so we will have to keep the bombs off of planes to prevent it from happening.

Answer 5

While I don't want to go into the politics that are at the root of the problem, yes, I do think these alerts are good. I am one of those oldfashioned people that actually like arriving alive when I travel.

Answer 6

you cant avoid it the best advice is to stay off the plane or you are screwed LOL