The mass media love a flight attendant story, especially if there is a sexual twist to it. Consequently, many campaigners and employers are keen to condemn the continued stereotypical portrayal of a flight attendant as an object of sexual desire. A generation ago, already in a supposedly more enlightened era, Britney Spears' video, which accompanied her single 'Toxic', caused ripples of concern within the industry. Yet it's a cliché, which both Hollywood and the advertising industry – as the latest Netflix film '365 DNI' and the Australian lingerie firm Honey Birdette's 'Turbulence' campaign respectively demonstrate – continue to promulgate. Alexandra James weighs up whether such imagery should really be of concern and results in flight attendants not being regarded as the safety and security professionals that they are. She further questions whether the flight attendant community itself is equally culpable for denigrating its professional image given the litany of videos appearing on social media.

What should the checkpoint response be when either a technology alarms – indicating the potential presence of a prohibited/restricted item – or concerns exist about a passenger or employee and, in either case, the physical pat-down search does not reveal any item? Technology can only go so far; ultimately it is up to a human being to make a decision based] on a full risk assessment. Alexandra James discusses the sensitive subject of strip search, and under what circumstances, in an airport environment, such a search can be carried out. She considers operational protocols – number of searchers, witnesses, respect for the passenger or staff member – which need to be defined before considering the practical methods of conducting the search.

Over the last two years, US air carriers have reported a significant increase in passengers bringing aboard emotional support animals (ESAs), resulting in a subsequent rise in incidents involving unruly animals during flights. Alexandra James examines the case for ESAs and asks whether more specific legislation and tighter airline policies are needed to tackle this emerging issue.

Since commercial airlines began transporting fare-paying passengers across international borders, there have been individuals willing to risk their lives to covertly exploit these flights, often to escape corruption, warfare and famine. Illustrating the problem, this February, two Ecuadorian teenagers fell to their deaths from the wheel well of a Latam Airlines flight departing Guayaquil for New York and, in Nairobi, the frozen corpse of a Congolese man was found in the wheel bay of Kenya Airways flight that had just arrived from Kinshasa. Alexandra James discusses the issues of stowaways, and the measures that must be taken to prevent more live from being lost - and to stop the same vulnerabilities from being exploited by those with more sinister intentions.

When introducing a new uniform, it might be tempting to opt for the cheapest or most convenient choice without really considering all the issues. Alexandra James discusses the psychological and practical impacts a well-designed uniform can have, both on the performance of security personnel and on the mindset of the passengers they are tasked with protecting.

With increasingly sophisticated technology available to those in the aviation security industry, individuals wishing to carry dangerous or illegal substances and weapons onto flights have been forced into using ever more intimate methods of concealment. Alexandra James discusses body cavity bombs, questions whether they are as imminent a threat as we once thought, and highlights lessons that can be learned from previous incidents.

If you have ever had a job interview, given an important speech or been talked into doing a bungee jump, the chances are you will have experienced the physiological reactions to acute stress. You may have noticed your heart racing, your breathing increase, your palms become sweaty and, in severe and prolonged cases, you may have found yourself rushing to the bathroom. You will also have noticed that these physical symptoms are involuntary, instinctive, and, most crucially for those in the security industry, almost impossible to supress. But what exactly causes these responses, and why is it important to be able to recognise them? Alexandra James explains.

We are all too familiar with the daily challenges involved in keeping flights and passengers secure, while ensuring throughput rates remain high and providing good quality customer service. But what can we do when the measures designed to keep flights and passengers safe are perceived to be offensive, inappropriate or are prohibited by certain cultures and belief systems? Alexandra James will address a number of culturally sensitive issues that often pose challenges for screeners, and present some helpful advice from religious authorities, community representatives and aviation security professionals to help ensure that the dignity of every individual is respected as they pass through our security systems.

On 22nd March 2016 special correspondent for the Georgian Public Broadcaster, Ketevan Kardava, was standing at the Brussels Airlines ticket desk at Zaventem Airport when two bombs detonated just metres away from her. In the minutes that followed, Kardava, miraculously unscathed, took twelve photographs of her fellow survivors, which were circulated internationally on social media and in the press. These iconic images quickly became synonymous with the terrorist attack on Brussels, and gave the world unparalleled insight into the nail bomb explosions and their victims. In an interview with Alexandra James, Kardava discusses her experience, the effect it has had on her since and the criticism she has received for taking the photographs.