An opinion piece by John Lott, of the American Enterprise Institute, ran in the press in various forms last week, on the op-ed pages of The Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, and elsewhere. Lott argues that commercial aviation needs more armed pilots, and quickly. “The Bush administration has done what it can to discourage pilots from even applying for the armed-pilot program,” says Lott. And while pilots go untrained, “a cost-effective backup layer of security” is lost, he says. “Air marshals can’t do it all.” Meanwhile, the TSA has been adamant in defending its training program, saying pilots are “off base” in their criticisms. The program is going “full speed ahead,” the TSA said last August. Their offices were less responsive to our inquiries this week.
…And Public Call To Arms Continues
Key Takeaways:
- John Lott of the American Enterprise Institute argues for an urgent increase in armed pilots for commercial aviation, viewing them as a cost-effective security backup that air marshals cannot fully provide.
- Lott criticizes the Bush administration for discouraging pilot participation in the armed-pilot program, leading to a lack of trained pilots and a lost security layer.
- The TSA defends its armed pilot training program, claiming it is progressing "full speed ahead" and dismissing pilot criticisms as "off base," despite being less responsive to recent inquiries.
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