The implementation and installation of a second flight deck barrier in commercial airliners to protect the cockpit is being proposed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The rule would stipulate installing a second physical barrier on commercial planes that are produced after the rule is enacted. The rule would cover passenger service in the United States.
U.S. Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg said:
“Flight crews keep us safe when we travel to visit loved ones, explore new places and conduct business. They, too, deserve to be protected, and this rulemaking is an important step forward.”
The Biden-Harris Administration put the secondary flight deck barrier on its priority rulemaking list in 2020.
The FAA worked with airplane builders, unions, and other groups to get recommendations for how to improve airplane safety. Now the FAA has a proposal that includes these recommendations. The Administrative Procedures Act requires the FAA to follow a specific process when making this rule, which Congress included in the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act.
FAA Acting Administrator Billy Nolen said:
“Each additional layer of safety matters. Protecting flight crews helps keep our system the safest in the world."