US security considers on-board spy cameras

American airliners could be fitted with miniature spy cameras capable of transmitting images of on-board incidents back to security forces on the ground. According to a report by The Times’ transport correspondent Ben Webster, the US Department of Homeland Security is testing the system, which has been designed by the Scottish company, Essential Viewing. The newspaper states that cameras with tiny lenses will be fitted in the cockpit and each passenger cabin, with the images being beamed back to earth via satellite. They could also be sent to an on-board sky marshal, who could view the images on a private screen. Essential Viewing’s chief executive Simon Hardy reportedly told the newspaper: “The video system offers the potential for ground-based security staff to advise the air crew on how to react to a suspicious event and possibly avoid an incident altogether, or at least how to manage an incident in progress.” However, Chris Yates, aviation security expert at Jane’s, was less enthusiastic. He reportedly said: “Watching these video images will give them another insight into what is happening on board but there is not much they can do from the ground.”