You aren't reading what I write carefully. The headcount has a purpose - that I don't dispute, although in the case of an insecure apron/jetway it is bypassed fairly trivially.
And as to what boarding card to create you obviously aren't following the scenario we are discussing of a terrorist wishing to get on board a specific flight with nefarious intent.
The question at issue here is what purpose the check at the aircraft door that someone has in their hand a piece of paper which looks like a boarding pass for that flight serves.
And the answer is clearly none at all (as pretty much all countries in the world except the UK recognise, and hence they don''t have such checks).
Moreover, the question of having an accurate record of who is on board an aircraft in the event of an accident is not a security issue either. Again I accept that it is an important thing to have, but that isn't the point at issue here.
Security of flights is very simple:
1. Screen all people who will board a flight to ensure that neither they nor their luggage have anything which could be used to harm the flight.
2. Screen all the cargo on the flight similarly.
3. Secure the cockpits so that no-one can take over the flight.
4. Ensure that no people who haven't been screened are able to board a flight.
And that's all.
So long as we have have procedures which achieve these four then I would be quite happy to sit next to Osama Bin Laden himself on a plane. The identity of the people on the plane is of no importance whatsoever given those four requirements are met.
Checking at the door that someone has a piece of paper looking like a boarding pass for that flight does not contribute in any way to meeting any of those four goals.
Last edited by christep; 18th Oct 2008 at 19:02.