WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- The U.S. government has authorized the first airline to equip aircraft with electric stun guns as a security measure, USA Today reported Monday.
Korean Air, which has 50 flights into the United States each week, received permission to use them from the Transport Security Administration last week.
The airline began installing the Taser devices in its fleet in 2002 for flights excluding U.S. airspace, although it would not divulge whether pilots, flight attendants, or both had been trained in their use.
Last year, the TSA decided that stun guns were the only non-lethal weapon that could be used safely on flights, although the agency doesn't expect many other airlines to follow Korean Air's lead.
"There's no indication that there's a large movement in this direction at this time," spokesman Mark Hatfield said. "But we'll give serious consideration of every application we get."
Tasers deliver an electric shock that briefly incapacitates people without injuring them.
