"If a security breach occurs on the flightdeck, we have failed. The emphasis of all policy makers, legislators, regulators, manufacturers should be on preventing the problem getting near the airport or onto the aircraft."
From time to time Balpa do come out with something profound. Surely the idea is to prevent firearms getting on to the aircraft at all.
The 9/11 hijackers used box cutters not guns and were able to hijack 4 aircraft simultaneously. This was despite a locked flight deck door policy and to my understanding the US were using Air Marshalls - although not on the aircraft concerned.
The UK government has yet again decided to throw their toys out of the pram at the slightest hint of a problem on the other side of the pond.
I don't know about anyone else but I've never seen any reports on what actually happened on board those aircraft (eg CVR transcripts,) just heard rumours. The last version I heard was the flight crew were lured out of the flight deck by a stewardess being stabbed. If we know what the crew did "wrong" (and that is meant very loosely) then maybe we can all learn something and avoid it - I always thought that was the point of accident investigation.
Don't fix something if it ain't broke! The fact I managed to get on board a flight from JFK to LHR last November with a woman's boarding card for a flight the day before (by accident I must add) would suggest the problem is on the ground not in the air - If they want to take us out a man with a pellet gun won't stop them, merely cause panic - which doesn't much help either.