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FLASH: Cancellation of British Airways flights is not in response to U.S. safety concerns, but rather is being prompted by refusal of British pilots to fly with armed marshals on board... Developing...

Air-India is ready to comply with the directions of the United States of having armed sky marshals on board its flights while entering American airspace, if required. It is a general direction to all airlines that armed police will be mandatory to take protective action for any foreign airline entering American airspace, A-I's public relations director Jitender Bhargava said on Tuesday. The airline at present does not have sky marshals on board its flights, he said. "We are initiating and working out the logistics and comply if any A-I flight is identified for deployment of sky marshals since it has...

<p>LONDON — Some international airlines said they already were using armed marshals while others promised to cooperate with a U.S. requirement for sky marshals on certain flights as part of a heightened terror alert.</p> <p>The Bush administration said Monday it will require international air carriers in certain cases to place armed law enforcement officers on cargo and passenger flights to, from and over the United States.</p>

PARIS (AP) -- Members of France's elite intervention squad are already riding undercover on some trans-Atlantic flights, while a continent away, Mexican security agents also began boarding planes before a new U.S. directive to foil foreign terrorists. Many airlines around the world have said they would cooperate with the U.S. order announced Monday to put armed law enforcement officers on certain international flights as part of a heightened terror alert. Some others say they have used armed marshals since shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. With fears of terror rising this holiday season, France and Mexico were among...

Last Updated: Tuesday, 30 December, 2003, 16:50 GMT Union advises pilots not to fly Airport security has increased Airline pilots should not take off with armed marshals on board, the British Airline Pilots' Association has said. The union (Balpa) has advised members not to fly until agreement is reached on the roles of marshals. The announcement came after consulting lawyers to see if pilots could legally refuse to fly their plane with an armed police officer on board. UK ministers say the move is a "responsible and prudent" response to the heightened terror alert in the US. Balpa has also...

<p>The Homeland Security Department announced yesterday that it will require armed air marshals on selected foreign flights entering U.S. airspace. It's a welcome move. But all the "chatter" indicating al Qaeda's continued interest in aviation targets suggests the government still hasn't done enough to protect our airspace.</p>

<p>December 30, 2003 -- WASHINGTON - The United States yesterday ordered foreign airlines to put armed air marshals on selected flights to thwart terror hijackings or risk being denied permission to land in America. The unprecedented step comes amid continued fear that terrorists want to strike using airplanes as weapons and may time their attack with the New Year's holidays.</p>

<p>LONDON — Some international airlines said Monday they would cooperate with a U.S. requirement for sky marshals on certain flights as part of a heightened terror alert. Others said they already were using armed marshals.</p> <p>Britain has declared its willingness to deploy sky marshals. The Department of Transport said Britain was in "regular contact with the U.S. government about security matters," but stressed that "only the U.K. can authorize the placing of air marshals on U.K. carriers."</p>

US officials announced that any foreign airliner entering US airspace could be required to have armed police on board. "We are asking international air carriers to take the protective action as part of our ongoing effort to make air travel safe for Americans and visitors alike," Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said in a statement. The announcement came after US officials said intercepted intelligence indicated that al-Qaeda may try to hijack foreign airliners for a repeat of the September 11, 2001 attacks in which 3,000 died. Homeland Security Department spokesman Dennis Murphy said US officials would notify foreign carriers when...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The United States will ensure that other governments enforce a new American requirement placing armed law enforcement officers on some flights to prevent hijackings, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Monday. Ridge also assured Americans who may be concerned about holiday air travel that aviation in the United States since the 2001 terrorist attacks "has risen to new heights of security." Ridge encouraged Americans to continue with their holiday plans, even amid the orange alert level, or high alert status, put in place more than a week ago. "The full force of Homeland Security all across this...

Government plans to put gun-toting sky marshals on board British airliners flew into turbulence when British Airways and the main pilots' union said it would do "more harm than good" and put passengers at risk. The British government announced Sunday that plainclothes sky marshals, travelling incognito among passengers, would be placed on selected British airline flights -- exactly which ones it did not say -- in response to a heightened state of alert in the United States. "Air marshals will be deployed where appropriate," said a joint statement from Transport Secretary Alistair Darling and Home Secretary David Blunkett. In Washington,...

Sec. Ridge will hold a briefing at 3:30 PM EST.Nothing follows.

Gun guards on British flights to US By Toby Helm and Sean O'Neill (Filed: 29/12/2003) The immediate deployment of armed sky marshals on British transatlantic airliners was sanctioned by the Government last night because of a heightened threat of terrorist attacks. More screening at British airports and protection of aircraft while on the ground have also been ordered. A joint statement issued by Alistair Darling, the Transport Secretary, and David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, said that measures to prevent "any takeover of the aircraft cockpit" would be taken when necessary. "Where appropriate", this would mean "the deployment of the covert...

LONDON (AP) -- Britain will deploy armed sky marshals on some passenger flights in response to the heightened terrorism alert in the United States, the government said Sunday.The Department for Transport did not specify when or where the marshals might travel, but a government-commissioned report recommended earlier this month that they be placed first on trans-Atlantic flights.``Security is kept constantly under review and it is essential that we take all reasonable steps to deter terrorist activities,'' Transport Secretary Alistair Darling said in a statement.``Our aviation security program works on many levels, with measures for all stages of the process, from...

Armed sky marshals are to be deployed on some UK passenger planes in response to the heightened state of alert in the US, the Government has announced. Extra security measures for air travel have also been put in place on the ground following the raised terror threat. The government said it was "a responsible and prudent step" at the present time. The sky marshals would be deployed "where appropriate" and be dressed as ordinary passengers. Transport secretary Alistair Darling said: "Security is kept constantly under review and it is essential that we take all reasonable steps to deter terrorist activities....