8:42am UK, Wednesday December 15, 2004

An airline pilot is calling for all captains of passenger planes to carry guns. 

David Lonsdale, who flies 747s to the United States and the Far East, says sky marshals are only part of the answer in the fight against airborne terrorism.

180 Air Marshall

Air marshals 'only part of solution'

He said it did not make sense to give a fighter pilot permission to shoot down a passenger jet when pilots were not allowed to be armed. 

told Sky News: "We cannot give a pilot a gun to defend an aircraft with 400 people on board or a couple of hundred tonnes of cargo - we are not allowed to do it and that seems bizarre to me." 

Since September 11, hijackers on US flights can expect to be dealt with swiftly and vigorously, but the idea of having guns at 30,000ft rests uneasy with the pilots unions and airlines. 

Aviation security expert Chris Yates, disagrees with Mr Lonsdale. 

He said: "We need to invest heavier in the aviation security that we have on the ground." 

Mr Yates added: "We shouldn't be putting the last line of defence at 30,000ft."