By 2008, European researchers aim to bring that vision closer to reality through an ambitious security program to combat onboard threats in an industry left reeling by a security scare that raised the specter of 9/11.
On August 10, British police foiled a plot to blow up aircraft mid-flight between Britain and the United States in what Washington said might have been an attempted al Qaeda operation.
Since 9/11, the idea that civilian planes can be used as weapons has taken hold globally, spawning increased security measures in airports around the world.
The researchers aim to create a "last barrier to attacks" on planes in flight.
Among the non-hijackable plane's features: computer systems designed to spot suspicious passenger behavior, and a collision avoidance system that will correct the plane's trajectory to prevent it from being steered into a building or mountain.
The researchers are also investigating the possibility of developing an onboard computer that could guide the plane automatically to the nearest airport, in the event of a hijack. They say, however, that this may be some 15 years away.
"You never reach zero level of threat, no risk," said program coordinator Daniel Gaultier of French technology group SAGEM Defense Securite. "But if you equip planes with on-board electronics, it will make them very, very difficult to hijack."
The four-year, 35.8 million euro project, called SAFEE or Security of Aircraft in the Future European Environment, was launched in February 2004.
Among those taking part are aircraft maker Airbus, its parents EADS and BAE Systems, as well as Thales and Siemens AG. The European Commission is contributing 19.5 million euros.
Omer Laviv of Athena GS3, an Israeli company taking part in the project, said the system might be commercially available around 2010 to 2012.
