Much as we all dislike the border controls, it is fact that the political impetus in Europe is to monitor/control the movement of individuals so that the authorities appear to be doing something to combat terrorism. Whether controlling persons flying around in light aeroplanes actually achieves anything is irrelevant. And it’s game over if some disaffected crazy were to use a light plane in connection with an atrocity.
If you were a self-regarding ambitious politician climbing the greasy pole, or still worse a civil servant, with responsibility for some aspect of public security, what would you do about the escalating wave of attacks on innocent civilians? Think about it. Think about how many voters would support building a Trumpesque wall or fence around their particular country. The liberal order of our civilisation is under pressure from internal and external forces; inconvenience to apparently-affluent people’s personal flight itineraries will count for nothing.
