More than 20 years after 9/11, the FAA would require new industrial airplanes to have a secondary cockpit barrier to forestall assaults, however the feds is not going to mandate airways to retrofit present planes.
A retired FAA particular agent tells the Herald that this implies the overwhelming majority of planes stay unprotected and are “still vulnerable to a 9/11 style attack.”
“It’s 22 years since 9/11, and the FAA is patting themselves on the back for putting secondary barriers on new aircraft down the road, while the aircraft we’re flying in now doesn’t have that protection,” the ex-agent Brian Sullivan added. “It’s ridiculous.”
The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday introduced that it’s going to require a secondary barrier on the flight deck of recent industrial airplanes, serving to shield flight decks from intrusion when the flight deck door is open.
A number of months in the past, the Herald reported concerning the continued want for secondary cockpit obstacles within the wake of a Massachusetts man allegedly attacking a flight attendant whereas on a aircraft to Boston.
When a pilot has to exit the cockpit to make use of the toilet, the “secondary barrier” turns into flight attendants standing in entrance of the cockpit entrance — often with their push cart.
Secondary cockpit obstacles are wire-mesh gates that might be situated between the passenger cabin and cockpit door, blocking entry to the flight deck whereas within the air.
“Every day, pilots and flight crews transport millions of Americans safely — and today we are taking another important step to make sure they have the physical protections they deserve,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg mentioned within the FAA’s announcement.
Aircraft producers are required to put in secondary obstacles on industrial plane produced after the rule goes into impact.
“No pilot should have to worry about an intrusion on the flight deck,” mentioned Acting FAA Associate Administrator for Safety David Boulter.
The president of the Air Line Pilots Association referred to as the FAA’s announcement on Wednesday lengthy overdue. All present plane also needs to have these obstacles, added ALPA President Capt. Jason Ambrosi.
“With this action today addressing the installation of secondary barriers on newly manufactured aircraft, we must redouble our efforts to pass the Saracini Enhanced Aviation Safety Act (H.R. 911/S. 911) to address the retrofitting of existing airliners, and work to install primary barriers on cargo aircraft,” Ambrosi mentioned.
“Because ensuring that no terrorist — domestic or international — breaches another aircraft flight deck door again should be one of this nation’s highest security priorities,” he added.
Installing secondary obstacles on plane already within the fleet prices about $5,000 per plane or much less, in line with ALPA.
“Flight Attendants will no longer be forced to use their own bodies as the barrier between the cockpit and the cabin on new aircraft thanks to the finalized rule issued by the FAA today,” the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA wrote. “We support secondary barriers in all of our aircraft.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com”