In an aviation first, Southwest Airlines has debuted a model new plane fitted with an additional safety barrier between the cockpit and the cabin to assist stop intrusions.
The secondary barrier was put in on a lately delivered Boeing 737 Max 8 that made its inaugural flight final Friday, from Phoenix to Denver.
The retractable barrier will probably be deployed by flight attendants when pilots take breaks for lavatory visits and refreshments, making a safe space whereas the cockpit door is open.
Currently, beverage carts are used as boundaries, with crew additionally bodily blocking the aisles.
All U.S. airways have been mandated by the FAA to put in bodily secondary boundaries on new plane, with Southwest the primary to take action.
The boundaries are the newest in a raft of safety measures launched after 9/11, together with more durable cockpit doorways that should stay locked; armed air marshals; the screening of checked baggage; and machines that detect hint portions of explosives.
Southwest revealed that by the top of the 12 months, the variety of planes in its fleet with secondary boundaries will quantity 26.
Airlines have till August 2026 to introduce the additional boundaries on new plane, however Southwest determined to turn into a “first mover”.
It defined in an announcement: “For Southwest, this was the right decision. We have a robust safety management system that takes a proactive approach when it comes to enhancing safety wherever possible.
“We recently were the first airline to begin requiring customers to keep lithium battery chargers in sight while they are in use. We also took the proactive step of buttoning up our cabin service at 18,000 feet to help prevent turbulence injuries.”
The implementation of the boundaries is strongly supported by Air Line Pilots Association International, which stated: “Secondary flight deck barriers are just one of the many critical safety and security measures Alpa is advocating for.
“The flight deck is most weak when the cockpit door is open throughout flight. These light-weight, retractable boundaries present an added layer of safety in these moments, serving to stop potential breaches.”
It added: “This is not nearly coverage, it is about defending the flight deck, the crew and everybody on board.”
However, some passengers have questioned the logic of putting a barrier in front of an emergency exit, while another quipped on Instagram: “Just install a lavatory door. No one knows how to open it properly anyway.”