Nearly 10,000 US airline pilots can carry a gun

Over ten per cent of airline crewmembers in the US are authorised to carry guns onboard, according to a budget document released by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

The Federal Air Marshal Service runs a programme for armed pilots as a TSA agency and estimates that 85,000 to 90,000 pilots and crew are eligible to carry a gun on domestic passenger and cargo flights.

Although the exact number remains confidential the TSA has forecasted the level of eligible pilots will increase to 16.5 per cent by 2011.

The TSA reports it found 16 firearms and four concealed prohibited items at US airport checkpoints last week, as well as dealing with 17 disruptive passengers on flights.