New planes to require secondary cockpit barriers
The US has mandated beefed up cockpit security for all new planes.
From 2025, all new planes must be built with a secondary barrier protecting it from intrusions.
The Federal Aviation Administration rule comes into force from mid-2025.
However, it won’t apply to charter flight operators.
The FAA said it is a necessary extra precaution for cockpit safety.
“No pilot should have to worry about an intrusion on the flight deck,” said David Boulter, the FAA’s acting safety administrator.
The rule was first directed by Congress in 2018 but the FAA only issued its proposal last year.
The second barrier would act as additional protection during vulnerable time such as when one pilot takes a bathroom break.
It would ‘slow such an attack long enough so that an open flightdeck door can be closed and locked before an attacker could reach the flightdeck,’ the FAA said.
The agency estimates a secondary barrier will cost about $35,000.
“We are taking another important step to make sure they have the physical protections they deserve,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said.
It is not mandatory for existing planes to retrofit the barrier.
Still, Delta and United Airlines have added secondary barriers to some planes.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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