DOT opposes pistol-packing pilots

Allowing pilots to carry guns in the cockpit will not be one of the steps taken by the DOT to upgrade airline security, Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said last month. The nation’s homeland security director, Tom Ridge, also opposes arming pilots. However, the decision may be left up to the new undersecretary for transportation security, John Magaw, who has given no indication as to when or what he would rule. Last month, the Air Line Pilots Association filed a petition with the DOT to propose a rule authorizing U.S. airline flight crews to carry firearms aboard aircraft. The association said a recent poll of ALPA’s 67,000 members disclosed that 73 percent support allowing guns in the cockpit.