Flight deck door locks, security & what next?
From March 1st all aircraft operated by US carriers must have a lock fitted that can only be opened from inside the flight deck. SFAR 93.
How does this make the various airline people who read this forum feel?
I frequently see pilots as well as other staff with IDs, being searched to make the public feel good. Considering that the crews have supposedly had 10-year background checks why has this been necessary?
After March 1st it won’t be necessary.
As long as any pilot has passed security & not carried any weapon, he will now be allowed to lock himself in the flight deck, where there is an axe & he will be free to do whatever he wishes with the aircraft. It happened with Egyptair, the only difference is that no one will be able to stop them because they will have no means of getting into the flight deck due the latest security rules.
So should we not have profiling for all pilots to ensure that the travelling public are protected? Who can say 100% that an Egyptair will not happen again? Or Silkair?
We, the passengers, have all had our Leathermans, Swiss Army knives, scissors, nail files, knitting needles etc taken off us as a threat. Yet no one seems bothered that the airlines serving wine & champagne from glass bottles into glasses, which still poses a threat. or serve food on china plates. Oh sorry we now have plastic knives – that will help - not.
Look at the recent Air Lanka flight on which a passenger tried to kill himself with shards from a broken toilet mirror. Where there is a will there is a way.
Try flying internally the in US without a return ticket & see what happens - a gate search. Did security not get it right at the first check-point? How can someone avoid a gate? Buy a round trip ticket. Having 150K+ miles with several airlines does not help point out that you fly a lot on business.
I frequently travel in the US as do many colleagues & we all see the same.
Travel in Europe stepped up after Pan Am but what is going on in the US is deterring no-one apart from some rednecks & genuine business travellers. . . . .Should we not get some reality?
What is being done to prevent another Egyptair or Silkair?