Copyright 2002 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Inc. St.
Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri)
November 15, 2002 Friday Five Star Lift
Edition
SECTION: BUSINESS ; Pg. C8
LENGTH: 580 words
HEADLINE:
AIRLINES FEAR NEW COSTS IN HOMELAND BILL
BYLINE:
Cynthia Wilson Of The Post-Dispatch
BODY: Trade group supports new department but favors marshals over armed
pilots.
Pilots of commercial passenger planes moved
closer to being allowed to have guns in the cockpit when the House approved the
practice Wednesday in a vote to set up the Department of Homeland Security.
The Air Transport Association, which lobbies on behalf of
the airlines, on Thursday praised the bipartisan support for a homeland security
department it believes will keep the industry better informed of threats. It
also hailed Congress' decision to extend war-risk insurance
coverage to the airlines.
But the industry trade
group, which has opposed arming pilots, said it also was disappointed that
"unnecessary and costly" provisions were included in the homeland security
bill.
The ATA said those provisions, which include
additional self-defense training for flight attendants, could jeopardize the
industry's recovery further because it makes the airlines assume more costs.
"It's fair to say the bill's provisions are much less
onerous than original proposals," said ATA spokesman Michael Wascom. "Even so,
we still believe the best law-enforcement protection in the sky can be provided
by trained federal air marshals."
Wascom said the ATA
understands the sentiment of those who advocate guns in the cockpit, but he said
the ATA has a duty to ask tough questions and gain a clear understanding of
answers, because the safety and security of passengers and employees are at
stake.
"Regrettably, many of those questions remain
unanswered," Wascom said.
Pilot groups, however, say
the benefits of arming pilots outweigh the risks.
"The
plain facts are, if hijackers gain control of the airplane, everybody aboard is
as good as dead, and many people on the ground may die as well," said Michael
Cronin, executive director of the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations. "In
the face of homicidal maniacs, we need to have a last-ditch means of defense,
and the only thing that works is a gun."
With the
Senate expected to pass the homeland security bill without amendment next week,
proponents of arming pilots of passenger planes are li kely to get their way.
Cargo pilots, however, won't be allowed to carry guns aboard planes.
Cronin said the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations
will try to get legislators in the next session to correct that omission.
"The risk to the public from hijacked cargo jets is as
great because of the many dangerous goods carried on cargo planes," Cronin said.
"Had a cargo airplane crashed into the Pentagon or World Trade Centers, the
results could have been worse."
The bill requires the
Transportation Security Administration to pay for training and qualifying the
pilots. It bars pilots from using the weapons for any other reason than
defending the cockpit.
The bill frees the airlines of
having to pay pilots while in training and from any liability if pilots use the
weapons aboard their aircraft, Cronin said.
Still,
industry experts say airlines, which are forecast to lose $9 billion this year,
still may face some costs associated with pilots carrying guns. For example,
airlines may have to retain higher staff levels to compensate for pilots who are
in training.
"Ultimately, if this industry is to have
any opportunity to regain its financial footing, government-imposed costs must
be reduced," Wascom said. "We simply cannot continue to shoulder a
disproportionate share of the cost of our nation's war on terrorism."
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