Iberia security allegation

Employees at Spain's Iberia yesterday accused the airline of not having stepped up security measures six months after the September 11 hijacks exposed the potential dangers for airlines. Maintenance specialists, mechanics and flight attendants at Iberia, grouped as the Technical Committee for Airline Security, told reporters Iberia had not reinforced barriers to the cockpit as the main U.S. and some European airlines had done. Andoni Nieto, representative of pilots' union SEPLA , said that while airports' authorities had implemented a considerable drive to provide airports with supplementary measures to guarantee security, Iberia had not made a parallel effort.” Iberia has a long and bitter history of disputes with its pilots union, which delayed and almost stopped last year's privatisation. A spokesman for Iberia said it complied with all security standards and had strengthened safety measures.