At most airports, airlines use jet bridges (the long, movable "hallway" that attaches the terminal to the aircraft) to provide passengers with easy access to an aircraft for boarding and deplaning. However, when an aircraft is parked at a jet bridge, for security reasons, the access door to the bridge itself must remain closed or guarded by an airline gate agent at all times. Crew members requiring access to the aircraft parked at the gate must first check in with an agent to verify they are working the flight before the agent permits them onto the aircraft.
The FAA requires that the airline conduct a security sweep for the first flight of each aircraft each day. This sweep includes removing the seat bottom cushion, looking under seats, in overhead bins, and in any and all crevices that an item can or might be hidden. This search can be completed when the aircraft lands the night before its first flight of the next day, as long as the main cabin door is closed and a seal is placed on the cabin door. Additionally, the aircraft can remain parked at the gate location but cannot be connected to the jet bridge so that access to the cabin is restricted. Otherwise, the search is completed the morning of departure before passenger boarding.
Airports designate certain parts of their tarmacs as "hardstands." This means that this area is reserved for aircraft to be parked overnight waiting to be utilized the following day. The FAA permits aircraft to be parked away from the terminal but requires that the cabin door remain closed and air-stairs pulled away from the aircraft for security purposes. Airlines can also use hardstands to perform maintenance to the aircraft away from the busy airport terminals. In rare instances, boarding and deplaning can also take place while the aircraft is parked on a hardstand.
