US FAA Proposes New Passenger Planes Install Second Flight Deck Barrier

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Monday a proposal that would require new passenger airplanes have a second barrier to the flight deck, making hijackings and other intrusions of unwanted persons into the cockpit area more difficult on behalf of the safety of passengers. The FAA stated its proposed rule would apply to all passenger planes manufactured more than two years after the rule takes effect. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 required the FAA to issue an order requiring the installation of a secondary cockpit barrier on all commercial jets under its jurisdiction by 2019, but the implementation of the rule has been delayed by procedural rules. Now the agency appears to be set to make good on its commitment to honor the 2018 law, although the announcement of the proposal is only the first step in the extensive regulatory process. This has occasioned criticism from members of Congress, who argued in 2019 that the FAA was dragging its feet on implementing the new rule ordered by federal lawmakers….