Understanding Passenger Knowledge of Dangerous Goods and Its Role in Enhancing Aviation Safety at Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan Airport

Abstract

Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan International Airport in Balikpapan, managed by PT Angkasa Pura I, consists of airside and landside areas, where landside Security Check Points play a vital role in preventing the transportation of dangerous goods that may threaten aviation safety. This study aims to analyze the level of passenger knowledge regarding dangerous goods and to examine its role in enhancing aviation safety at the airport. A descriptive quantitative method was applied, with data collected through observations and structured questionnaires distributed via Google Forms to 30 passengers and 30 aviation security officers using two separate instruments. The collected data were processed using SPSS to ensure validity and reliability, supported by manual calculations for comparison. The results indicate a strong positive correlation between passenger understanding of dangerous goods and aviation safety, with correlation coefficients of 0.731 for the independent variable and 0.757 for the dependent variable. These findings demonstrate that higher levels of passenger knowledge significantly contribute to improved aviation safety. The study concludes that passenger awareness of dangerous goods has a substantial influence on aviation safety performance; however, it also reveals that some passengers still lack sufficient understanding prior to air travel. The implications of this research emphasize the importance of strengthening passenger education and awareness programs on dangerous goods, in accordance with the Indonesian Minister of Transportation Regulation No. 32 of 2022, as a strategic measure to enhance aviation safety at airport security checkpoints.