boofhead & John Boeman
Yes the woman at LHR was stopped by EL AL security, the point is that she was stopped by security, the flavour of which does not really matter. In any event it was an example to show that such items can be taken airside without the knowladge of the person carrying them. A member of crew wouldn't carry something they didn't know the contents of? Think again it's happened!
Boofhead you make much about the impact on aviation of 9/11, and the downturn in caused. Sadly the public have short memories, are you and they prepared to put up with the degree of security operated by EL AL? I doubt it very much. Not when people want the easy of low cost airlines and turn up and fly. What effect on pax numbers do you think that would have?
There seems to be a difference between the way staff are treated in the US (if whats been posted on here is correct) in that only crew & pax are screened there before going airside. That is not the case in the UK. As far as I am aware that is not the case in the rest of Europe either.
The searches of ANYONE (with the exception of a few groups) have been going on in the UK for years.
So the prospect of crew families being held hostage is simplistic is it? Easier just to get a job airside? Not in the UK. Thats like saying it's easier to get a job in a bank and rob it than to hold the managers family hostage. Odd then, the IRA didn't do it that way isn't it? Not to mention numerous not so nice other people.
We all know you can fly you plane into whatever you want, that's not at issue, and no amount of security is going to stop that. What is at issue is to stop the other ways crews, or anyone else, can be used, coerced or conned into taking weapons & explosives airside, then giving them to someone else.