News
Anti-hijack technology to be developed
15 August 2006
Researchers are working flat-out to develop technology that will make it much more difficult for aeroplanes to be hijacked.
Following the September 11th attacks and last week's aviation scare, firms are looking at ways to screen suspicious passengers, make collisions impossible and even land planes automatically.
"You never reach zero level of threat, no risk," Daniel Gaultier of French technology firm SAGEM Defense Securite told Reuters.
"But if you equip planes with on-board electronics, it will make them very, very difficult to hijack."
Although aeroplanes had upgrades after the World Trade Centre attacks to automatically lock cabin doors and US flights now have air marshals, the fear of hijack remains.
Under the Security of Aircraft in the Future European Environment (SAFEE) project, BAE Systems and Airbus has received £25 million to develop the technology.
However, while plans are to bring in most of the upgrades between 2010 and 2012, some of the more high-tech parts, such as the automatic landing system, could be at least 15 years away.
© Adfero Ltd
Following the September 11th attacks and last week's aviation scare, firms are looking at ways to screen suspicious passengers, make collisions impossible and even land planes automatically.
"You never reach zero level of threat, no risk," Daniel Gaultier of French technology firm SAGEM Defense Securite told Reuters.
"But if you equip planes with on-board electronics, it will make them very, very difficult to hijack."
Although aeroplanes had upgrades after the World Trade Centre attacks to automatically lock cabin doors and US flights now have air marshals, the fear of hijack remains.
Under the Security of Aircraft in the Future European Environment (SAFEE) project, BAE Systems and Airbus has received £25 million to develop the technology.
However, while plans are to bring in most of the upgrades between 2010 and 2012, some of the more high-tech parts, such as the automatic landing system, could be at least 15 years away.
© Adfero Ltd
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