Pilots knock BA armoured door deal

SOME British Airways pilots are threatening to refuse to fly planes fitted with armoured cockpit doors. They say that the sealed doors, being fitted to improve security following the 11 September attacks, can cause problems if a plane suffers depressurisation. This, they believe, could cause a cockpit floor to collapse.

The pilots' union Balpa will discuss the doors at its annual conference on Friday. General secretary, Christopher Darke said: 'We have great concerns.There is a suspicion that this safety measure is public relations and marketing-led. Certainly, it has not been carefully thought through.'

A spokesman for BA said: 'Balpa was consulted all the way. And the safety measures have the support of the Civil Aviation Authority.'

Both BA and Virgin Atlantic, which are introducing the armoured doors at a cost of about £2m, recognise that their installation is only temporary until aircraft makers come up with a permanent solution.