I'm often unsure of what the solution is to in-air terrorism. Clearly, taking over the cockpit of a passenger plane is not feasible, even if a large number of people on board tried. But if you wanted just plain terror, what is worse than being burned to death at 35,000 feet? I've seen the hairspray demo (something I used to do as a kid) and I also know that the interior of a plane is very, very flammable.
Certainy, theres more in-air danger from a lighter than there is from a knife. However, I'm not sure if it's even possible to prevent fire-making devices from coming on board. A lithium battery and headphone wire can make quite a bang, as can a flash from a camera.
The answer, which the TSA refuses to implement, is passenger profiling. I'm no threat, yet I'm treated as one. I suffer economic harm and and inconvinenced because I'm treated the same as a guy who has a Syrian passport, has been to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan in the last 6 weeks and is a cousin of a suicide bomber from Isreal.
that's just dumb.