The invention relates to the automatic detection of the presence of non-authorized persons in the vicinity of an apparatus of the aircraft type. To this end, the invention comprises equipping persons with radio transmitters for identifying them as authorized personnel. The aircraft are also fitted, such as at the existing PODs, with a transceiver device of a radio identification system of the RFID type for recognition of the persons wearing the radio transmitters. Only the persons who are not authorized in the vicinity of the aircraft initiate an alarm procedure.