Setting aside the effectiveness arguments for the moment, the point of preventing weapons on aircraft is now less about 'a terrorist might blow up an aircraft'

Setting aside the effectiveness arguments for the moment, the point of preventing weapons on aircraft is now less about 'a terrorist might blow up an aircraft' and more about 'a terrorist might hijack an aircraft and turn it into a gigantic missile'. Obviously any place where there are large groups of people would be a target for attacks of this kind.