| AAT | animal-assisted therapy |
| AC | advisory circular |
| ACARS | aircraft communication addressing and reporting system |
| A-CERT | airport community emergency response team |
| AFA-CWA | Association of Flight Attendants-Communication Workers of America |
| AI | artificial intelligence |
| ALA | airport liaison agents |
| AOC | airport operations center |
| ASP | airport security program |
| ATC | air traffic control |
| ATF | Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives |
| BART | San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit |
| BEST | Boston Emergency Services Team |
| BOS | Boston Logan International Airport |
| CBP | United States Customs and Border Protection |
| CBT | cognitive behavioral therapy |
| CCTV | closed-circuit television |
| CEO | chief executive officer |
| CFR | Code of Federal Regulations |
| CIT | crisis intervention training |
| CLT | Charlotte Douglas International Airport |
| COS | Colorado Springs Airport |
| CPI | crisis prevention and intervention |
| CPR | cardiopulmonary resuscitation |
| CRIT | crisis response and intervention |
| CRT | crisis response team |
| CTA | Chicago Transit Authority |
| CTE | chronic traumatic encephalopathy |
| DA | district attorney |
| DEN | domestic events network |
| DFW | Dallas Fort Worth International Airport |
| DHS | Department of Homeland Security |
| DOJ | Department of Justice |
| EAP | employee assistance program |
| ECC | emergency communications center |
| EDP | emotionally disturbed person |
| FAMS | Federal Air Marshall Service |
| FBI | Federal Bureau of Investigation |
| FIDs | flight information displays |
| FIS | Federal Inspection Services |
| GIS | geographic information system |
| HBD | has been drinking |
| HSOC | healthy streets operation center |
| HVAC | heating, ventilation, and air conditioning |
| IATA | International Air Transport Association |
| ICAO | International Civil Aviation Organization |
| ICAT | integrating communications, assessment, and tactics |
| IT | information technology |
| JATOC | Joint Air Traffic Operations Command |
| LAST | listen, apologize, solve, thank |
| LAWA | Los Angeles World Airports |
| LEO | law enforcement officer |
| LGW | Gatwick Airport |
| Massport | Massachusetts Port Authority |
| MHP | mental health professional |
| PARAS | program for applied research in airport security |
| PDX | Portland International Airport |
| PEH | person/people experiencing homelessness |
| PERT | psychiatric emergency response training |
| RCA | root cause analysis |
| SAN | San Diego International Airport |
| SEA | Seattle Tacoma International Airport |
| SFO | San Francisco International Airport |
| SFPD | San Francisco Police Department |
| SIDA | security identification display area |
| SOP | standard operating procedure |
| SPCA | Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals |
| SRA | safety risk assessment |
| STAR | Server Training in Alcohol Regulations |
| TIPS | training for intervention procedures |
| TWU | Transportation Workers Union |