Police will be deployed on passenger jets to tighten air security and fight terrorism, an official with the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) confirmed Wednesday.
"Everything is in full swing," the official with the administration's police department told China Daily. But he refused to elaborate.
Sources with Air China said police with special training will begin to stand guard in some passenger planes during the first half of next year.
Zhong Qunpeng, team head with the National Expert Group on Workplace Safety, said it is necessary to train the police to fight against terrorism, which has threatened international airliner safety for some time.
"This is a move aimed at fighting terrorism and improving the sense of safety of passengers," said Zhong.
Zhong said the police must be quick witted, brave and strong enough to tackle terrorists in a short period of time.
"As far as I know, it will be the first time in the world that police have been employed on planes as a safety measure," Zhong added.
Airline security crew members are currently responsible for the safety of the passengers and aircraft.
The first teams of air police will be recruited from airline security crew members, who will undergo special training.
The civil aviation authorities have been making plans since the beginning of this year to set up the special police force and the central government has now agreed the move.
Some airline companies in China have begun training their security staff, who are expected to become the backbone of the new police units.
The Air Accident Investigating Committee of the CAAC found earlier this month that the China Northern Airlines crash that claimed 112 lives on May 7 had been caused by a fire ignited by a passenger.
"This disaster has made us progress more steadily and firmly in setting up an air police force," said a China Northern Airlines official.
Officials from the air accident investigating committee looking into the crash were quoted as saying that a man named Zhang Pilin deliberately started a blaze as the plane approached Dalian in Northeast China's Liaoning Province. Everyone on board, including Zhang, died when the airliner plunged into the sea off the coast of Dalian.
(China Daily December 12, 2002)
