A worker scans baggage as it enters an Alaska Air Group Inc. jet at Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA) airport in Seattle, Washington, on Friday, Feb. 3, 2017. (Photo: David Ryder/Bloomberg)
(Bloomberg) – Step inside the cockpit of an empty commercial aircraft and the pilot controls are yours. You don't need a key or any special passcode to power up the plane and fly it away, whether it's a small regional jet or a giant twin-deck Airbus A380.
The suicide-by-plane Friday at Seattle's Sea-Tac International Airport, which ended when a rogue airline employee crashed a stolen 76-seat turboprop into an island, has raised fresh questions about aviation security. To abscond with a parked plane, there are basically just two security barriers in the way: obtaining access to a non-public area, and possessing enough knowledge to operate the aircraft.
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