NewsMax.com Wires
Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2001

The nation's largest airline pilots union is calling on Congress to immediately allow its members to carry firearms in airline cockpits.

Officials with the Airlines Pilots Assocation made the request within 24 hours of NewsMax's lead editorial calling for airline pilots to be immediately armed.

NewsMax argued that only this move would give confidence to airline passengers, deter future attacks, and help spur a faltering U.S. economy.

Officials at ALPA told CNN Monday that their "pilots have no choice but to arm themselves to maintain security in the sky. ..."

ALPA represents more than 66,000 pilots working for 47 different U.S. and Canadian carriers.

ALPA's president, Capt. Duane Woerth, announced the new policy as he prepares to testify before Congress on airline safety Tuesday.

"This is a reflection on how much the attack on September 11 has changed everything we thought about hijackings and terrorism," John Mazor, an ALPA spokesman said Monday.

Calling the new plan "radical," Mazor said the union's pilots have demanded the new policy. "The cockpit has to be defended at all costs," he added.

ALPA has already called for the use of sky marshals and efforts to make cockpits more secure. But both measures would take time to implement.

Sen. John McCain, ranking Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee, said he would consider the pilots' request, and said Congress should be "guided by the experts' view."

In the interim, the union is not taking any chances.

It has already written to its pilots to use any and all means to defend the cockpit, even using an axe in the cockpit.

ALPA told its members point blank: "The pilot must be prepared to kill a cockpit intruder."

In its editorial Monday, NewsMax warned that if immediate steps are not taken to restore confidence in airline travel, America's economy risks going into a severe recession or depression.

While Congress can move to allow pilots to carry weapons, the president can move more quickly by deputizing all current airline pilots as sky marshals.

Editor's note. If you agree with ALPA that pilots need to be armed, please let the president and Congress know how you feel: Send a free e-mail to the president. You can also call the White House at 202-456-1414 and let the president know you agree with NewsMax and ALPA, and request that the president allow pilots to be armed. Also, please call your congressman and senators at 202-225-3121.

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