FAA Moves Secondary Flight Deck Barrier Requirement Forward

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed requiring a second barrier to the flight deck on certain commercial airplanes. The additional barrier would protect flight decks from intrusion when the flight deck door is open.

“Flight crews keep us safe when we travel to visit loved ones, explore new places and conduct business. They, too, deserve to be protected, and this rulemaking is an important step forward,” U.S. Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg said.

The proposed rule requires aircraft manufacturers to install a second physical barrier on airplanes produced after the rule goes into effect and used in commercial passenger service in the United States.

“Each additional layer of safety matters. Protecting flight crews helps keep our system the safest in the world,” FAA Acting Administrator Billy Nolen said, a helicopter pilot and former commercial airline captain.

Last year, the Biden-Harris Administration put the secondary flight deck barrier on its priority rulemaking list. During 2019 and 2020, the FAA worked with aircraft manufacturers, labor partners and others to gather recommendations that are included in today’s proposal. The Administrative Procedures Act requires FAA to follow the full rule-making process for this mandate that Congress included in the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act.

The public has 60 days to comment on the proposed rule once it is published in the Federal Register. The FAA will publish a final rule after the comment period closes.