New police force to fly on Chinese planes
China is creating a 2,000-member police force to fly aboard its airlines, prompted by terror attacks in the United States, it was reported today.
The aviation police will replace private security guards who fly on many Chinese carriers.
Citing unnamed sources, it said the new force was being formed by the Civil Aviation Authority of China, the country’s airline regulator.
The measure, if confirmed, would be among a series of steps taken by China after terrorists on September 11 crashed hijacked jetliners into the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon.
Chinese airline offices in Hong Kong were ordered earlier this month not to sell tickets to passengers from the Middle East and Pakistan.
Chinese carriers have cancelled their flights to Pakistan and the Middle East.
It was not confirmed whether the new air police would carry guns.
But it has been said that they would be similar to China’s railway police, whose officers travel aboard trains armed with pistols.
Airline guards currently are armed with truncheons and fire axes.
