Summary
- Sky marshals are covert officers trained to prevent hijackings and other crimes onboard aircraft.
- The United States started the Federal Air Marshal Service after hijackings peaked in the late 1960s.
- The program expanded after September 11th, 2001, leading other countries to implement similar policies.
Did you know that the United States is not the only country to have plain-clothed armed officers on some flights? Onboard, to prevent hijackings or the use of an aircraft to commit a terrorist attack, such individuals are an extra measure in the aviation security system.
Known as sky marshals, air marshals, or in-flight security officers (IFSO), they are covert undercover law enforcement or anti-terrorist officers trained to prevent hijackings. Some airlines, such as Israeli airline El Al, provide sky marshals on every flight (in addition to other famous security efforts), while others rely on government agencies like the US Federal Air Marshal Service.
Hijacking aircraft became popular in the 1960s and 1970s
In 1958, as the revolutionary fighters tightened their grip on Cuba, people looking to flee the island started to hijack planes to escape. By 1961, the tables had turned with hijackers demanding to be taken to Cuba. According to the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), in the 1960s, there were 100 attempts to hijack American planes. Realizing the danger this posed, in July 1961, the FAA issued a directive banning unauthorized personnel from carrying firearms aboard aircraft. The same year, the FAA and the Department of Justice started a program to put trained air marshals on flights.
Between 1968 and 1972, the United States saw a spate of hijackings, which were from people demanding to be taken to Cuba or an attempt to extort money. One of the most famous hijackings occurred on November 24th, 1971, when on a flight between Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington.
D.B. Coopertold a flight attendant he had a bomb and was prepared to blow up the plane. When the plane landed in Seattle, he demanded to be given $200,000 and four parachutes. He also demanded enough fuel be put onboard to fly him to Mexico. About 30 minutes after taking off from Seattle, Cooper lowered the Boeing 727s rear door and parachuted into the night, never to be seen again.
By 1980, most airports worldwide had introduced metal detectors and X-ray machines, which led to many terrorists planting bombs on planes. This is evident in the downing of Air India Flight 182 over the Irish coast and Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. The 1980s also saw an uptick in hijackings in the Middle East, yet hijackings in the United States had declined significantly.
September 11, 2001
On the morning of September 11th, 2001, four airliners were hijacked by 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists and deliberately flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon close to Washington, DC.
A fourth aircraft, on its way to Washington DC, crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after passengers tried to take back the plane. A total of 2,977 people were killed as a result of the attack, and the way we fly was changed forever.
The Air Marshal program was expanded
Following these 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush ordered the rapid expansion of the Federal Air Marshal Service and created the US Department of Homeland Security. Under the control of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), it is believed that around 4,000 air marshals are deployed on American carrier flights worldwide.
The European Union (EU)
In 2004, the United States government asked European Union nations to put armed air marshals on selected flights between the EU and the United States. Several EU states, including Denmark, Portugal, and Sweden, were against the idea as the United States looked to tighten security further so as not to have a repeat of the September 11th, 2001, terrorist attacks.
At the time of the request, Washington had yet to specify which routes and flights it would like to see armed air marshals on. Some European airlines complained that having air marshals on flights would cost them money as their governments would not pay for the air marshal seats.
Despite the opposition from some countries, others have taken the proposal in stride and have had undercover armed officers on flights following the September 11th, 2001, attacks.
European countries with sky marshals
Austria
Sky marshals on Austrian Airlines flights are provided by the Einsatzkommando Cobra, a special anti-terrorism unit created in Austria following the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
Germany
Germany began deploying plain-clothed armed officers on some medium and all long-haul flights following the 9/11 attacks. Angry that it was losing revenue because German sky marshals are usually seated somewhere in business class to be near the cockpit, Lufthansa sued the Federal Government.
However, in 2018, the court ruled in favor of the government, saying airline costs were negligible compared to their turnover in the billions of euros.
Spain
The Spanish Guardia Civil provides armed, highly trained plain clothes officers for Spanish airline flights. Not only are the Spanish sky marshals trained to combat hijackers, but they are also able to take control of a plane and land it should it be necessary.
Switzerland
The Swiss Federal Office of Police provides undercover armed guards for specific flights.
United Kingdom
An armed sky marshal program was created in the United Kingdom in 2002. The plain-clothed officers are provided by the Metropolitan Police Service Specialist Firearms Command SO19. Very little is known about them as the program is highly selective.
Non-European countries
Australia
In response to 9/11, Australia instituted an air security officer (ASO) program under the Australian Federal Police. The ASO Program provides undercover officers on flights operated by Australian registered airlines.
Canada
Following a memorandum of understanding between the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Transport Canada, specially trained undercover armed RCMP officers fly on Canadian airlines. Despite being police officers, they will not get involved in dealing with unruly passengers.
India
India introduced undercover armed officers on flights followingthe hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Recruited from the elite National Security Guard, India placessky marshalson all Indian airline flights to and from the United States.
Pakistan
Pakistan places undercover armed officers on all Pakistan-registered airliners.
Singapore
The Singapore national flag carrier Singapore Airlines has highly trained officers from the security command or the special tactics and rescue (STAR) of the Singapore Police Force. The officers are armed with special ammunition that will not deprive an aircraft and with dart-firing stun guns.
