Secondary Cockpit Barrier Now Required on New Commercial Aircraft

Pilot groups applaud the new FAA security requirement.

Wednesday, June 14, 2023 at 02:57 PM ET

Verified

The FAA is now requiring all new commercial aircraft to have a secondary barrier on the flight deck. [Credit: Kenny Eliason/ Unsplash]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA has mandated the installation of physical secondary barriers on the flight decks of all new commercial aircraft.
This rule aims to prevent unauthorized intrusion when the main flight deck door is temporarily open during flight, significantly enhancing security.
The requirement applies to new aircraft manufactured two years after the rule's effective date and has received widespread support from government officials, pilot unions, and aviation industry stakeholders.

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The FAA is now requiring all new commercial aircraft to have a secondary barrier on the flight deck in order to ensure the safety of aircraft, flight crew, and air passengers.

The first lockable flight deck doors were installed in response to the hijackings of September 11, 2001. The final rule mandating the additional barrier will protect flight decks from intrusion when the flight deck door is open.