The Hindu : Britain to deploy sky marshals on flights

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 30, 2003

International

International

Britain to deploy sky marshals on flights

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON DEC. 29. Despite opposition from major airline operators and pilots, the British Government has decided to go ahead with plans to deploy armed guards on flights to America justifying the move on grounds of increased threat of an airborne terrorist attack.

The decision, which is expected to come into force as early as this week, will affect only British airliners, particularly British Airways and Virgin both of whom are known to have strong reservations.

When the idea was first mooted a year ago, British Airways had made clear that it had "concerns about the presence and use of firearms on board our aircraft''.

The British Airlines Pilots' Association was quick to condemn the move saying it did not want "guns on planes''.

In a sign that it was prepared to confront the Government, the Association advised its members not to fly aircraft which had armed guards if they were "not comfortable'' with the arrangement.

"Our view has always been that putting sky marshals on planes is the worst thing you can do — we don't want guns on planes...What they should be doing is investing in security on the ground.

"Our advice to pilot members is that if they are not comfortable with the arrangement they should not fly,'' said a spokesman for the Association.

Echoing the anger among pilots, Captain Mervyn Granshaw said they were "fed up with security initiatives being dreamt up at the Department of Transport without any consultation at all''.

The plan was also criticised by aviation experts who said having people with guns on board could jeopardise safety of passengers.

"Exactly what is going to be achieved by having someone on board which means there are two armed people (the terrorist and sky marshal)?'' asked David Learmount of Flight International calling the decision `stupid'.

But the Home Secretary, David Blunkett, defended the decision saying it was a "proportionate and appropriate level of response'' to the terrorist threat. In a joint statement, Mr. Blunkett and the Transport Secretary, Alastair Darling, insisted that it was a "responsible prudent'' step.

The Government announcement did not indicate how many armed guards would be deployed on each plane and whether they would be on every U.S.- bound British flight or only those perceived to be vulnerable. But they would be in plain clothes and mingle with passengers.

The move follows heightened security alert in America which led France to cancel several flights last week on what turned to be a false alarm by Americans.

Several international airlines already carry sky marshals on board, but experts argued that what was needed was more `robust' security on the ground.

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