No mandatory flight deck barriers for small planes

Flight deck barriers won't be required for commuter aircraft with 19 to 29 seats, Transport Minister Steven Joyce says.

The Government ordered strengthened flight deck barriers to protect crews on planes with 30 or more seats in 2009 after a Somali refugee attempted to hijack a plane on an Air New Zealand flight a year earlier.

That plane had 19 seats and the Government was also looking at the feasibility of introducing the barriers for planes with 19 to 29 seats, but today said it had opted against the move.

"While it is technically possible for a barrier to be installed on 19-seat aircraft, it would add to the cost of flying to provincial destinations, and likely be cost-prohibitive for operators of small commuter fleets," Mr Joyce said.

"Officials were unable to find any example of other countries that required flight deck barriers for that size of aircraft."

So far half of domestic planes with more than 30 seats had the strengthened barriers.

"Once this task is completed next year, over 92 percent of passengers on all scheduled domestic air services in New Zealand will be travelling on aircraft with strengthened cockpit doors.

"Security committees are also now in place in 19 regional airports and they are in the process of enhancing security training and education standards for airport and airline staff."

Somali refugee Asha Ali Abdille attacked crew on a Blenheim to Christchurch flight in 2008 and was sentenced to nine years' jail. She is appealing the six-year non-parole period of that sentence.

She admitted attempting to hijack the plane and threatening crew and passengers with a knife.

Abdille was described at her sentencing as a refugee from the horrors of Somalia who never fitted into New Zealand society.

The incident terrified passengers and crew.

Abdille had demanded she be taken to Australia.

When she was told that was not possible she attacked the captain, first officer, and a woman passenger with one of three knives she was carrying.

The captain's hand was badly injured and he had to have part of a thumb amputated. The first officer had a cut foot. The court was told that one of the pair had given up flying.