UK pilots have backed British Airways chairman Martin Broughton after he criticised the heavy-handedness of airport security procedures in the country.
Broughton told a conference in London that certain procedures were unnecessary and his opinion has gained support from cockpit union British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA).
BALPA general secretary Jim McAuslan says airport checks "employ a 'catch all' approach" which lacks focus on genuine threats from terrorism.
While disagreeing with Broughton's illustrating his point with the example of shoe removal - citing the proven threat from hidden explosives in footwear - the union says aviation security should apply measures based on the latest intelligence.
It states that the policy should concentrate resources where there is a "true threat" to safety, adding: "The current UK policy, which views everyone and everything as a threat, is at odds with such a process."
BALPA points out that pilots have to undergo security checks which fail to differentiate between an experienced captain and regular passengers.
"At the very least this can be a stressful process for the flight-crew member involved, who might pass through security several times a day, but makes absolutely no sense in terms of security risk reduction," says the union.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
