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Question: What part of an airport is considered to be "secure" and at what point does it become that way?

Background: The company I work for is building a new international terminal at a large airport in Texas. I carry every day because there is really nothing "secure" about the terminal at this point. You have to walk past a hired security guard (hired by us) to get in and out of the gates, but they are there simply to prevent theft of materials. For now, this terminal is separated from the Aircraft Operations Area (AOA) and other terminals by a fence and other barricades...so you cannot get into any other part of the airport from the job site (at least not yet).

Is there a legal definition of what a "secure" area of an airport is? I'm just wondering at what point this will be considered a "secured" area.

To keep it simple, any place beyond the metal detectors for passenger screening is normally the secure area of an airport. Many airports like to secure the entire terminal, but that is not in keeping with the law.

Braden wrote:Question: What part of an airport is considered to be "secure" and at what point does it become that way?

Is there a legal definition of what a "secure" area of an airport is? I'm just wondering at what point this will be considered a "secured" area.

The state prohibition concerning carrying a gun into a “secure area� of an airport is Penal Code §46.03(a)(5). PC §46.03(c) states, “In this section:...(2) 'Secured area' means an area of an airport terminal building to which access is controlled by the inspection of persons and property under federal law.�

49 Code of Federal Regulations 1540.107 states, “No individual may enter a sterile area or board an aircraft without submitting to the screening and inspection of his or her person and accessible property in accordance with the procedures being applied to control access to that area or aircraft under this subchapter.�

49 CFR 1540.5 states, “Sterile area means a portion of an airport defined in the airport security program that provides passengers access to boarding aircraft and to which the access generally is controlled by TSA, or by an aircraft operator under part 1544 of this chapter or a foreign air carrier under part 1546 of this chapter, through the screening of persons and property.�

Thanks. Basically I'm good for another 90 days or so (which is when the terminal opens).