Many of the posts here just spell out why my miserable, almost science-fiction type of solution will eventually be the only way forward. The cost will be huge whichever way we go, but I have a terrible gut feeling that what we have now is the lull before the storm. I hope I'm wrong, but the ‘success' of 9/11 will not be missed on the planners of chaos.
An aircraft that weighs 20% more due to cast iron bulkheads and other daft ideas, will also be a burden to be paid for by nations not airlines...well, unless ticket prices double. Even then, to effect the winning of a battle, they only have to bring it down over a town. No need to be at the controls. All in all, it will be better to work towards carrying ‘sterile' passengers.
What I'm saying is, whichever way we go, it will be expensive: a partial rundown of aviation as we know it, before rebuilding the industry.
Of course, there is another route. Working towards some understanding of the hatred that these fanatics feel towards us, and working towards battle agreements that would leave aviation alone. I'm mindful of the IRA's policy of backing off after the mortar attack at Belfast. It was in their interest to leave aviation alone. Their determination was absolute, but I'm told there were several reasons for not attacking aviation. Just maybe there could be a common logic. Mmmm......Now I'm dreaming.