Sky marshal

Sky marshal (or air marshal) is a popular term for an armed guard on board an aircraft. Three carriers are known to have sky marshals on board on selected flights: Swiss (since 1970; formerly Swissair), El Al, and Sri Lankan Airlines. Sky marshals became an issue in late 2003 when United States ordered foreign airlines to have armed guards on flights to and from the country as a precaution against terrorist attacks. Many of the involved countries and carriers have expressed great reservation towards the idea since they fear that having weapons on board only increases the risk of terrorist actions.

References

• Armed guards "normal" on Swiss planes, swissinfo, January 10, 2004; online