Airliners could be equipped with closed circuit television cameras under the latest proposals to fight a spate of midair brawls.
A draft bill proposed by a group of independent Duma deputies would see cameras installed in the cockpit and cabins of airliners in order to provide evidence that could later be used to prosecute trouble-making passengers, Izvestia reported.
"Given the number of scandals and conflicts on board aircraft, we need an objective view of what's happening. The 'black box' is only a voice recorder, so no one knows how things really are. And images recorded [by passengers] on mobile phones cannot give an objective picture of reality or be considered in court," deputy Leonid Levin told the paper.
Airlines would be obliged to install and maintain the cameras at their own expense.
The proposal has received a mixed reception among lawmakers, however. United Russia deputy Alexander Vasilyev dismissed the idea as an unnecessary burden on airlines that would ultimately be carried by passengers.
"Everyone has a phone in his or her pocket, and this proposal is only going to increase the cost of tickets," he said.
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