The Federal
Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) program is run by
the Federal Air Marshal Service with the aim of
allowing volunteer pilots of commercial airline flights to
carry firearms for the purpose of defending the flight deck
against 9/11-style attacks.
Following
the September 11 attacks in 2001, the Arming
Pilots Against Terrorism Act, part of the Homeland Security
Act of 2002 directed the Transportation Security Administration to
develop the Federal Flight Deck Officer program as an
additional layer of security.[1] Under this program, flight crew
members are deputized Federal Law Enforcement Officers
authorized by the Transportation Security Administration to
use firearms to defend against acts of criminal violence or
air piracy undertaken to gain control of their aircraft. A
flight crew member may be a pilot, flight engineer or
navigator assigned to the flight. Participants in the
program are meant to remain anonymous, and while armed, are
prohibited from sharing their participation except with
select personnel on a need to know basis. Any pilot or
flight engineer employed by a commercial airline is eligible
to volunteer for the FFDO program. Program size quickly
exceeded TSA expectations after the program was opened for
volunteers in early 2003.
In
December 2003, President George W. Bush signed into law legislation
that expanded program eligibility to include cargo pilots
and certain other flight crew.
Federal
Flight Deck Officers are Sworn and Deputized Federal Law
Enforcement officers commissioned by the Department of
Homeland Security/ TSA Law Enforcement Division. Officers
are trained on the use of firearms, use of force, legal
issues, defensive tactics, the psychology of survival and
program standard operating procedures. Flight crew members
participating in the program are not eligible for
compensation from the Federal Government for services
provided as a Federal Flight Deck Officer.[2]
The TSA is
accused of having a "deep, institutional opposition to the
FFDO program" by the Airline Pilots Security Alliance.[3]