UK pilot representatives claim insist that the discovery of an explosive device during the search of a US-bound cargo flight does not invalidate this week's highly-public criticism of airport security by carriers.
Police found the suspect package during examination of an aircraft at East Midlands Airport yesterday, days after British Airways chairman Martin Broughton stoked controversy by claiming that certain security measures were unnecessary - comments which attracted support from the industry.
Cockpit union British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA) says that the discovery of an apparent bombing attempt does not undermine the criticism over redundant measures.
"If anything those complaints and this latest uncovered plot should be seen as making the case for better targeting of resource at identified risks," says BALPA general secretary Jim McAuslan.
"It makes no sense to us that scarce resources are used to strip down pilots with years of flying experience rather than targeting resources at the vulnerabilities that we seen exploited in the past 24 hours."
McAuslan warns that these weaknesses include freight flights which, he claims, have become subject to less attention than passenger flights.
"It is good news that the combined intelligence services have worked together effectively to foil the plot," he says. "But, as the eyes and ears on the front line, pilots' warnings about the whole security regime now need to be listened to."
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
