Thursday November 15 11:13 AM ET

United Airlines Putting Stun Guns in Cockpits

By Kathy Fieweger

CHICAGO (Reuters) - United Airlines, a unit of UAL Corp., said on Thursday it will become the first major U.S. airline to put Taser weapons, or stun guns, in every cockpit in its fleet following the Sept. 11 attacks so pilots can fight off hijackers.

The move comes amid heightened security concerns after hijackers commandeered planes belonging to United and American Airlines just over two months ago and flew them into the World Trade Center and Pentagon, killing nearly 5,000 people.

Tasers work by firing an electronic charge that instantly incapacitates an attacker. They are not lethal weapons and would not blow a hole in the fuselage like a conventional firearm, but they can cause burns.

United, the No. 2 U.S. airline, said the installation should start shortly. It is buying the guns from Taser International, based on Scottsdale, Arizona.

Two United jets were hijacked and crashed on Sept. 11, one into the World Trade Center and one in rural Pennsylvania.

United said the Tasers will be available to pilots in the event of a hijacking to defend the cockpit. United along with other airlines has also reinforced cockpit doors with special metal bars.

``United and its pilots believe Tasers are an important addition to enhanced cockpit security,'' said Andrew Studdert, United's chief operating officer. ``Tasers will incapacitate an attacker without endangering the airplane.''

Air traffic has remained far below normal levels since Sept. 11 and caused huge financial losses for the airline industry. United alone lost a record $1.16 billion in the third quarter.

The installations are subject to approval from the Federal Aviation Administration for an appropriate fleet-wide test program, United said.

-- Anonymous, November 15, 2001