The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Wednesday that it will require new passenger planes to have a secondary flight deck barrier. The new rule is in response to several high-profile incidents in recent years in which passengers have been able to breach the cockpit and interfere with the flight crew.
The new rule will require aircraft manufacturers to install a second physical barrier between the flight deck and the passenger cabin. The barrier must be strong enough to prevent a passenger from breaking through it, even if they are using a weapon. The barrier must also be designed to allow the flight crew to see through it so that they can monitor the passenger cabin.
The FAA is not requiring existing airplanes to be retrofitted with the new barrier. However, the agency is encouraging airlines to do so. The FAA estimates that the cost of retrofitting an existing airplane with the new barrier will be about $1 million. The new rule is expected to take effect in two years.
The need for a secondary flight deck barrier has been evident since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In the aftermath of the attacks, the FAA implemented a number of security measures, including requiring that all flight deck doors be locked during flight. However, these measures have not been foolproof. In recent years, there have been a number of incidents in which passengers have been able to breach the cockpit and interfere with the flight crew. In 2015, a passenger on a Southwest Airlines flight was able to open the cockpit door and stab the pilot. In 2016, a passenger on a Delta Air Lines flight was able to open the cockpit door and assault the flight crew. These incidents have raised concerns about the security of the flight deck. The FAA believes that a secondary flight deck barrier will provide an additional layer of security and make it more difficult for passengers to breach the cockpit. The new rule is expected to have a significant impact on the design of new passenger planes. Aircraft manufacturers will need to incorporate a secondary flight deck barrier into their designs. This could increase the cost of new planes and could delay the introduction of new models. The new rule is also expected to have an impact on the operation of airlines. Airlines will need to train their flight crews on how to use the new barrier and how to respond to incidents in which a passenger attempts to breach the cockpit. Overall, the new rule is a positive step towards improving the security of the flight deck. The new barrier will provide an additional layer of security and make it more difficult for passengers to interfere with the flight crew.