HOME
REGISTER/LOGIN
FREE NEWSLETTER
XML|RSS
Advanced Search
PODCAST
VIDEO
AVFLASH NEWS

October 23, 2007

Norwegian Pilot Quits, Citing "Security Madness"

By Mary Grady, News Writer, Editor

Picture the last time you flew commercial and stood in line to remove your shoes before reporting to the gate. Now imagine being an airline pilot in uniform, and going through those same lines up to 10 times a day. In Norway, some airline pilots are running out of patience with the system. One pilot delayed a departure when he refused to take off his shoes and reportedly shouted "I am no terrorist!" Another senior pilot chose to retire early, citing "security madness" as the reason. "He is happy to be retired and finished with this," Tom Erik Liverud, head of Widerøe airline's pilot union, told the newspaper Adresseavisen. "This is a marked contrast to some years ago when pilots were sad to give up their dream jobs when they passed 60."

The security demands are all for show and in some situations are counterproductive, Liverud told the newspaper. "All a pilot needs to crash a plane is his hands. It feels meaningless to use so many millions of crowns without even carrying out a risk analysis," he said. The Norwegian Airline Pilots Association has said flight crews should have the same privileges as customs officers and police, who are allowed to freely pass through airport security checks when on duty.

JavaScript Menus and DHTML Menus Powered by Milonic

Copyright Aviation Publishing Group. All rights reserved | Privacy Policy | Advertise | Contact Us | XMLRSS | Site Map | Top