The European Parliament has proposed strict new rules on the use of armed security personnel on board aircraft, heavily amending proposals tabled by the European Commission, writes Aimée Turner.
MEPs want sky marshals to undergo strict training in addition to guarantees that weapons are only permitted on an aircraft once all necessary security conditions have been fulfilled.
Authorisation must be granted by the member state responsible for issuing the operating licence and consent must also be given by the state of departure, by the state of arrival and where applicable by any state that is overflown or where immediate stops are made.
This version now must be reconciled with a draft proposed by the European Union's 27 governments and a robust conciliation process is likely.
Source: Flight International