<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by bdschobel:
A simple (and serious) suggestion: Why not arm the pilots? Most of them are ex-military and know how to use weapons. They could defend the cockpit themselves. Anyone who tries to break down the door gets shot. Pretty effective deterrent. There would be no additional expense for sky marshals. The pilots are there already. This simple change would be much more effective at stopping hijackings than any currently under consideration.
Bruce</font>
Considering that part of a highjacker's job is to take the plane by surprise, will the pilots really have an opportunity to pull out guns while flying the planes? Also, if higher ticket prices mean sky marshalls then I am ready to pay. The airline industry's need to cut costs to meet Wall Street's expectations have resulted in ground security that poorly trained and poorly paid. Thus attracting some of the worst people who often spend more time talking than checking bags.