The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)will require secondary barriers to the flight deck on all new airplanes in the US. The new rule will come into effect in 60 days and the airlines have until mid-2025 to comply.
The new FAA rule mandates that airlines have a second physical barrier installed in planes to be used when the cockpit door gets opened during a flight.
During a panel discussion announcing the new rule, Bill Cason, director of security for the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations, said the cockpit can’t be locked for entire flights, especially during extended operations.
Although cockpit doors are kept closed during the flight, there are times when doors are opened, when one of the pilots needs to use the restroom or when the cabin crew brings food and beverages to the cockpit crew. A second barrier could hinder the progress if a passenger wanted to break into the flight deck with one of the two doors kept closed and locked before the intruder could reach the main cockpit.
Commenting on rule, US Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, said: "Every day, pilots and flight crews transport millions of Americans safely - and today we are taking another important step to make sure they have the physical protections they deserve.”
The new rule will apply to commercial airliners built after mid-2025, and US officials have reassured airlines that the FAA will not require a retrofit of current planes. Additionally, not all airlines will have to comply with this new rule, only scheduled airlines have to observe the new regulation while the charter airlines will be free to choose.
According to FAA the new requirement aims to further enhance the security of pilots and of the entirety of the aircraft.
David Boulter, acting Associate Administrator for safety, FAA said: “No pilots should have to worry about the potential intrusion of a passenger in that critical space of an aircraft that is the cockpit.”