US regulator to require secondary cockpit barrier on commercial airplanes

U.S. officials said Wednesday they will require new airline planes to have a second barrier to make it harder for passengers to break into the cockpit when the main door is open. The FAA rule will apply to commercial planes made after mid-2025. The rule will affect airlines that operate scheduled flights, but not charter operators. Officials called the rule an important step to give pilots more protection. "No pilot should have to worry about an intrusion on the flight deck," said David Boulter, the FAA's acting associate administrator for safety. After the hijacking of four U.S. airplanes on Sept. 11, 2001, the FAA adopted standards for flight deck security to make them resistant to forcible intrusion and unauthorized entry. Congress directed the FAA in 2018 to require secondary barriers to cockpits, but the agency did not issue a proposal until last August, after it received recommendations from aircraft makers and pilot groups.<br/>