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I understand the most effective change was reinforcing and locking the cockpit doors. Despite the seemingly ineffective TSA checkpoints, I do wonder how well it

I understand the most effective change was reinforcing and locking the cockpit doors. Despite the seemingly ineffective TSA checkpoints, I do wonder how well it works as a deterrent. AFAIK simple for-profit hijacking of planes used to be more common before 9/11. I haven't heard about any such incident since. How much of that isn't because the potential perpetrators were deterred from even trying?

photochemsyn 5y ago
The only event I know of where that new policy played a central role was in the 2015 disaster in which a suicidal pilot locked the cabin while his co-worker took a bathroom break, and crashed the plane: > "On March 24, 2015, the co-pilot of a German airliner deliberately flew the plane into the French Alps, killing himself and the other 149 people onboard. When it crashed, Germanwings flight 9525 had been traveling from Barcelona, Spain, to Dusseldorf, Germany. (history.com)" I believe there's now a strict rule of two pilots in the cockpit at all times as a result. Also, hijacked planes are now much more likely to be shot down by military jets if they approach urban areas, which is not a topic airlines like to discuss.
- cwwc 5y ago
  The recent China eastern disaster and Malaysian air crash are both (potential) examples of this too. Not sure of the veracity, but I know pilot Suicide was one of the major theories held by investigators in both cases.
  - Schroedingersat 5y ago
    Sounds like some of that TSA money should he spent on lowering workload and increasing quality of life for pilots. Also maybe let's stop firing them for getting mental healthcare.
cascom 5y ago
That and matching bags loaded on aircraft to travelers boarded - the rest is just thousands standing around
- ajmurmann 5y ago
  What actually changed with the luggage matching? Googling this only gives me one-liners that don't explain what changed. Was there some way to check luggage anonymously before?
  - cascom 5y ago
    Not anonymously but if you checked-in, checked a bag, and then didn’t board, typically your bag may not still fly, now on most international flights if you don’t board, they go pull the bag from the aircraft. https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/pdf/10.1287/opre.49.2.181.13529 https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/pdf/10.1287/opre.49.2.181...

photochemsyn 5y ago

The only event I know of where that new policy played a central role was in the 2015 disaster in which a suicidal pilot locked the cabin while his co-worker took a bathroom break, and crashed the plane: > "On March 24, 2015, the co-pilot of a German airliner deliberately flew the plane into the French Alps, killing himself and the other 149 people onboard. When it crashed, Germanwings flight 9525 had been traveling from Barcelona, Spain, to Dusseldorf, Germany. (history.com)" I believe there's now a strict rule of two pilots in the cockpit at all times as a result. Also, hijacked planes are now much more likely to be shot down by military jets if they approach urban areas, which is not a topic airlines like to discuss.

cwwc 5y ago
The recent China eastern disaster and Malaysian air crash are both (potential) examples of this too. Not sure of the veracity, but I know pilot Suicide was one of the major theories held by investigators in both cases.
- Schroedingersat 5y ago
  Sounds like some of that TSA money should he spent on lowering workload and increasing quality of life for pilots. Also maybe let's stop firing them for getting mental healthcare.

cascom 5y ago

That and matching bags loaded on aircraft to travelers boarded - the rest is just thousands standing around

ajmurmann 5y ago
What actually changed with the luggage matching? Googling this only gives me one-liners that don't explain what changed. Was there some way to check luggage anonymously before?
- cascom 5y ago
  Not anonymously but if you checked-in, checked a bag, and then didn’t board, typically your bag may not still fly, now on most international flights if you don’t board, they go pull the bag from the aircraft. https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/pdf/10.1287/opre.49.2.181.13529 https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/pdf/10.1287/opre.49.2.181...