WASHINGTON Ñ The U.S. aerospace giant Boeing has submitted a plan to bolster airline security in the wake of the September Islamic suicide hijackings that led to the destruction of the World Trade Center and a wing of the Pentagon.

The Seattle-based company said the proposal included products recommended by the U.S. Transportation Department's team on aircraft security. U.S. airlines have already implemented the department's short-term security recommendations.

Executives said the Boeing proposal includes price and availability of engineering design and kit parts for the enhancements. They said the proposal seeks to strengthen the doors of the flight deck, increase awareness of cabin and flight crew, provide video surveillance of the flight deck entrance and ensure that position-tracking transponders that cannot be switched off in an emergency.

"Our customers helped us determine what these necessary security enhancements would require, and we committed to them that we would give them a solid proposal as soon as possible," Mike Bair, Boeing executive vice president of Commercial Aviation Services, said. "Much work remains to be done."

Boeing has teamed with C&D Aerospace to produce the actual designs and kits. The goal is to produce and install the equipment in all 5,500 Boeing aircraft flying in the United States by April 2003.

Executives said Boeing has signed a separate agreement with Israel Aircraft Industry to examine a joint venture for airline security.

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