FAA Eyes Second Barrier to the Flight Deck on New Aircraft

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed that all new commercial airplanes be outfitted with a second barrier to the flight deck as an extra security measure to prevent intrusion into the cockpit.

“Each additional layer of safety matters. Protecting flight crews help keep our system the safest in the world,” FAA Acting Administrator Billy Nolen said, according to a story published by Reuters.

Airlines bolstered their defense of the flight deck following the September 11 attacks at the beginning of the century when terrorists were able to breach the flight deck and take over the controls of four planes. Two airliners struck and destroyed the two World Trade Center towers in New York City, another slammed into the Pentagon building in Washington, D.C. and a fourth bound for Washington crashed in a field in rural Pennsylvania after heroic passengers overtook the suicide bombers.

The FAA proposal would require airplane manufacturers – namely Boeing and Airbus – to install another barrier to the flight deck on all planes.

The U.S. aviation oversight agency said it is finalizing its proposal, which would require manufacturers to install the second barrier on any plane built after the rule goes into effect.