September 11th Cost THY 60 Million Dollars
America has also requested that Sky Marshals be present on all flights. It was reported that planes which did not comply with the requirements would not be allowed to land at airports in the U.S.
According to the information given by THY CEO and General Manager Abdurrahman Gundogdu, The American Civilian Aviation Authority requested two months ago that a study be initiated concerning armed security officers in planes. Once it has completed the necessary preparations, THY will have 2 or 3 officers onboard its US bound flights. The officers will be outfitted with electrical shock devices or guns that fire special bullets that would not cause damage to the aircraft.
After the September 11 attacks, THY took numerous measures in order to modify the planes and train the staff, causing THY’s total annual security budget to increase form 30 million dollars to 50 million dollars. The recent applications will be expanded if countries like England and Israel demand similar measures.
General Manager Gundogdu also noted that they do not currently have flights to Kabul or Baghdad because of security reason. He added: "Foreign Affairs, Internal Affairs and related ministries demand that we fly to those airports. We would like to fly there; however, it is impossible to land there before those areas have been secured. Cargo planes must be escorted by 2 or 3 helicopters when they land in Baghdad. We will organize flights to Baghdad and Kabul after the government is established and security is guaranteed."
