German official calls for Schengen zone ID checks

German officials to review  the current mechanism for opening cockpit doors. Image by Bill Abbott / CC BY-SA 2.0

Following the Germanwings air crash, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière has called for the introduction of ID checks for passengers flying within the Schengen area. Currently, fliers do not have to present any ID at all when flying within the zone, which encompasses 26 European countries. De Maizière says that this made establishing whether the crash could have been a terrorist attack – or even identifying who was on board the flight at all – incredibly difficult. He also wants a review of the current mechanism for opening cockpit doors. Read more: thelocal.de