BA backs sky marshals

British Airways today moved a major step closer to carrying armed guards on transatlantic flights.

Chief executive Rod Eddington said that in the "current climate" an armed police officer on a particular flight "might have a place in aviation security".

If security on the flight could be "enhanced by the onboard presence of an armed police officer, we would be happy to accept that fact".

His new stance brings BA into immediate conflict with the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa).

The union says it has not agreed with the company how and when marshals would operate. Until this was done the union's "advice" to captains is "not to fly with a sky marshal aboard".

No date is fixed for when an armed guard would travel on

BA flights. A BA spokesman said the company, which has spent "£100 million and rising" on security since the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York, had not yet deployed a sky marshal.

Mr Eddington said that until now airport security had been designed "to keep guns off commercial aircraft". That would have to change. "So we now have to find a way of getting them on board safely and, crucially, in a way which would not compromise the covert nature of a sky marshal's deployment."

The captain of the aircraft would be told before take-off that a sky marshal was aboard but passengers would not.

Mr Eddington said he remained of the view "that guns and planes don't mix". He added, however: "Within BA a team of senior managers from our flight operations and security departments are drawing up a protocol for deployment of sky marshals which we believe will work for our passengers and crew.

"It must also, of course, be acceptable to the Department of Transport."

He made clear that if there was concern over a flight then it would not take off. "We maintain that if we have any cause for concern regarding the safety or security of a particular flight, we would simply not operate that service."

That, said Mr Eddington, had been demonstrated "with the recent cancellations".

Jim McAuslan, Balpa's general secretary, said the union was discussing a protocol for the deployment of sky marshals with the Government.

"It will apply to all airlines. Until we have a protocol our advice to our captains is not to fly with a sky marshal on board. Rod Eddington is right in saying that if there is a specific threat to a specific flight that aircraft won't fly."

Mr Eddington condemned the "needless bureaucracy" which had led to the long delays and cancellations to the daily flight - BA223 - from Heathrow to Washington last week. The BA chief said that last week's hold-ups were a result of checks by the US authorities.

"I am a fan of vigilance and BA makes no apology for its strict measures. Our customers expected it and recognise it as part of what BA stands for.

"But I am not a fan of needless bureaucracy. Last week's delays were due, in part, to the fact that a total of 22 different agencies claimed a reason to check one passenger list."

He said that "without diminishing the process" BA is working with the US government "to streamline this process without compromising its thoroughness".