From CNN:

Of the 28,000 commercial airline flights that take to the skies on an average day in the United States, fewer than 1 percent are protected by on-board, armed federal air marshals, a nationwide CNN investigation has found.

But does that matter? A CNN blog commenter rightly pointed out:

Is this really a big deal? The post 9/11 threat is no longer hijacking. The reinforced doors and the passengers would not let a similar incident occur. More focus should be on securing cargo and the nation’s ports.

I agree.

I would also suggest these cost effective measures:

• Increase funding the training of pilots to be the last resort armed response
• Create a cadre of local non-federal law enforcement to act as a reserve or air marshal surge force if a situation warrants it.

Your response: