An international pilots' association warned on Sunday against knee-jerk security reactions to the recent apparent attempt to set off an explosion on a flight arriving in Detroit, dpa reported.
Security at airports in the US and Europe has been stepped up after a Nigerian man allegedly attempted to bomb the plane as it approached Detroit airport on Christmas Day.
"I think what is happening now is a bit premature, to put it carefully," said Georg Fongern, the vice-president of the International Federation of Airline Pilots' Associations (IFALPA).
"First we need to know what exactly happened on the flight to Detroit, before we can talk about a change in checks," Fongern said in an interview with the German Press Agency dpa.
Fongern warned that heightened security measures could never entirely rule out the possibility of an attack.
"I see a problem in the fact that we appear to be investing even more in things that will not necessarily deliver the desired improvement in security, but will scare people off flying," the Lufthansa pilot said.
It remained unclear how the 23-year old Nigerian was apparently able to smuggle explosives on board during his journey from Lagos, Nigeria to Detroit, via Schiphol airport in Amsterdam.
"Fundamentally we should talk about the technology and the processes per se, but initially we should also talk about staff training," Fongern said.
"It's crucial to ask what we can we expect from somebody carrying out the checks on minimal wages," he added.