lame
8th May 2004, 10:08
Australia, US sign air marshal agreement
ABC NEWS
Saturday, 8 May 2004
The governments of Australia and the United States have signed an agreement to provide armed federal marshals on board random Qantas and United Airlines flights between the two nations.
The agreement marks the next step in the expansion of Australia's $19 million-a-year sky marshal program which already provides security domestically and on flights to Singapore.
Federal Minister for Justice and Customs Chris Ellison has been joined by US ambassador Thomas Schieffer at Perth airport to announce their countries' intentions to provide the armed security.
Senator Ellison marked the agreement with the US as a significant step in airline security.
"This is a covert program. Our officers are highly trained, they are armed," he said.
"We believe that increasingly, countries are seeing the benefit of having such a program and that's why so many countries are now adopting it."
Sky marshals have been on domestic flights since 2001 and on flights between Australia and Singapore since late last year.
ABC NEWS
Saturday, 8 May 2004
The governments of Australia and the United States have signed an agreement to provide armed federal marshals on board random Qantas and United Airlines flights between the two nations.
The agreement marks the next step in the expansion of Australia's $19 million-a-year sky marshal program which already provides security domestically and on flights to Singapore.
Federal Minister for Justice and Customs Chris Ellison has been joined by US ambassador Thomas Schieffer at Perth airport to announce their countries' intentions to provide the armed security.
Senator Ellison marked the agreement with the US as a significant step in airline security.
"This is a covert program. Our officers are highly trained, they are armed," he said.
"We believe that increasingly, countries are seeing the benefit of having such a program and that's why so many countries are now adopting it."
Sky marshals have been on domestic flights since 2001 and on flights between Australia and Singapore since late last year.