'hijack-proof' Airliner
According to the Sunday Times yesterday and today’s Daily Telegraph, trials have begun on the first ‘hijack-proof’ airliner. Plans are being developed by UK’s BAE Systems, Airbus and the European Commission in an attempt to counter any terrorists who succeed in slipping through airport security. Similar work is apparently also being done in the US.
The articles state that the systems under development go far beyond the reinforced cockpit doors and sky marshals. They include:
• Electronic ‘sniffer’ explosive/chemical detectors at aircraft doors
• Computer chips which match baggage with passengers on board
• Biometrically controlled cockpit doors and cockpit instruments
• Flight deck computer system to evaluate threats inside aircraft and advise captain on response
• Emergency avoidance system to prevent an aircraft being taken off its flight plan, avoid buildings etc and, in extreme cases, allow controllers on the ground to auto-land it
• Video cameras and microphones to detect unusual patterns of movement around the cabin, facial stress or suspicious actions
Apparently, first tests were carried out last month using actors in aircraft on the ground in both Bristol and Hamburg.
Some of the systems mentioned would appear to be developments of exisiting technologies such as TCAS which might explain why the plan is, apparently, for first elements of the technology to be available to airlines mid-2008. The full system would follow-on a few years later.
The engineers involved in this £22 million four-year study believe the travelling public will be willing to trade this higher level of scrutiny for the increased re-assurance the new systems will provide. No mention of the thoughts of aircrew though!
Last edited by backseatjock; 11th Sep 2006 at 23:32.