To my understanding, and correct me if I am wrong, in Australia a pilot (CPL or PPL) in command of an aircraft according to the CAR's is awarded the same disticntion as a constable. If anything needs to be done ie restraining a passenger, than the pilot in command has the authority to do so. Does this not include making arrests on board an aircraft.
If you are really concerned about making cockpits safe from hijackings then you must seal off the cockpit from the cabin area so that human nature does not kick in. After all, how many of us, as pilots, would al;low access to the cockpit if we thought it would save our passengers lives or the lives of our crew? It is part of our nature and training to preserve our crew and passengers before worrying about our own lives. And I know that I would have done the exact same thing as any of the pilots on those a/c would have done. Tried to save my crew and passengers. Sadly as we all know this proved disaterous.
So should we be allowed guns on board, in my opinion we should be, or at least have a number of undercover crew specifically hired for that exact process. We need to protect ourselves and our crew as well as our innocent passengers.
FB