Balpa affirms sky marshals plan
Pilots’ union, the British Airline Pilots’ Association (Balpa), has said it will abide with the presence of armed sky marshals on board aircraft on the condition that certain provisos are honoured.
The debate on sky marshals comes as the US tightens up its borders in the wake of a heightened state of alert over possible terror strikes.
The US government has demanded the deployment of sky marshals on select transatlantic flights entering its air space.
The British government for it part says the request is a “responsible and prudent step” in the current climate.
But the union, whose membership covers about 90 per cent of the UK’s near 10,000 commercial pilots, said the whereabouts of plain-clothed guards on planes must be made known to flight captains.
Balpa, in an agreement with Virgin Airlines, will be given the seat number of the sky marshal. The union wants a similar assurance from British Airways.
It wants the so-called safety ‘gold standard’ to cover all of its members.
The quid pro quo on the use Government-trained of sky marshals includes legal and financial indemnity for its pilots if shots are fired.
The union still has reservations over the use of sky marshals. Jim McAuslan, Balpa’s general secretary, after a 90-minute meeting yesterday with transport secretary Alistair Darling, said: “We do not agree in principle with having armed police sky marshals.
“But it is clear that is the way in which the government wishes to go, and we are not going to be in a position to be completely against the government’s policies.
“Our policy remains the same. Until we have an agreed protocol in place, the advice to our members when confronted with a police sky marshal is that you do not fly.”
Mr McAuslan said the meeting with Mr Darling had been “very useful”.
