The two performance areas “security” and “efficiency” in airport security operations cannot be analyzed apart from each other, since influencing one has a large impact on the other. In this research agent-based modelling is used to analyze dynamic relations and trade-offs between security and efficiency within airport security operations. Detailed decision making models and theories are used to model autonomous and diverse agents and to place them in a dynamic airport security environment. Results of experiments with the model are put in context of trade-off theories and a link with practice is made by comparing results with a real airport.