The Federal Aviation Administration is requiring that all new commercial airplanes be built with a secondary barrier to the flight deck.
The new mandate will make it harder for intruders to enter the cockpit when the door is opened, ensuring the safety of the aircraft, flight crew and passengers.
"No pilot should have to worry about an intrusion on the flight deck," said Acting FAA Associate Administrator for Safety David Boulter in a press release.
Manufacturers will be forced to install the secondary barriers on all new commercial planes once the rule goes into effect.
"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 said in a news release.
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The Biden administration made the rule a priority in 2021. The FAA formally proposed it in 2022 after feedback from aircraft manufacturers and labor partners.
The mandate meets a requirement of the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act, which helps improve aircraft safety certification processes.
