Air marshals are dangerous, says Ryanair boss

Armed guards on airliners would make travel more dangerous, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said today.

“Putting armed air marshals on airplanes isn’t going to make an airplane more secure, it’s going to make it less secure,” he said in Brussels.

“The fewer guns there are, the safer the situation is.”

Last month, the US Department of Homeland Security announced that airlines would be required to place armed law enforcement officers on flights to the United States ”where necessary.”

Ryanair, Europe’s major no-frills airline, does not fly to the US.

The Irish government, which holds the European Union presidency, is organising a meeting of EU aviation chiefs in Brussels this month to discuss the US demand.

Since the September 11 terror attacks, many airlines have acceded to US requests to install bullet-proof cockpit doors on aircraft and share passenger lists with US authorities.