NEED TO KNOW
- Southwest Airlines has debuted a new safety feature on its aircrafts
- On Friday, Aug. 29, the company completed its first flight operating a plane outfitted with a secondary cockpit barrier
- The new device, a first of its kind, creates a secured area for pilots if they need to leave the cockpit during flight
Southwest Airlines has introduced a new safety feature on its planes.
On Friday, Aug. 29, the airline flew its first aircraft with a secondary cockpit barrier, a spokesperson told PEOPLE. The newly introduced feature prevents passengers from entering the front galley adjacent to the flight deck when pilots need to open the cockpit door during a flight.
The new Boeing 737’s installed physical secondary barrier (IPSB) looks like a retractable folding door in between the cockpit area and the main cabin. While the barrier does not need to be used during the entirety of a flight, it creates an additional secured area when a pilot needs to use the lavatory or exit the cockpit for other reasons.
Every new aircraft the airline receives will come outfitted with this feature. The Southwest spokesperson says the company expects to add a few more planes over the next few weeks. By the end of the year, there will be 26 in total.
According to Southwest, they are one of the first U.S. carriers with this new barrier onboard. The move follows a long push by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to improve flight deck security standards following the hijacking of four planes on Sept. 11, 2001.
Since then, it was not uncommon to see flight attendants use a beverage cart to block the aisle, preventing passengers from accessing the front galley area, when a pilot needed to exit the cockpit.
In June 2023, the FAA announced they will require the barriers on all new commercial airplanes. The initial requirement was set to take effect this August, per Reuters. However, the outlet reported last month the FAA extended its deadline to outfit new aircraft by one year.
Airlines for America, a trade group representing American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and other carriers, asked the agency to delay the compliance by two years because the FAA had yet to certify the barriers, and no manuals, procedures or training programs were authorized.
Meanwhile, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) scrutinized the request.
“This pattern of endless delays must stop. Airlines have had ample time—two full years—to comply with this congressionally mandated safety requirement, yet once again, they are shirking their responsibility to implement this critical security measure,” ALPA president Capt. Jason Ambrosi said in a July 22 statement.
Despite the delay, Southwest is implementing the change now, citing “proactive safety.”
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“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,” a spokesperson shared in a statement with PEOPLE.
They added: “We have made sure our flight attendants and pilots are aware that these barriers will be on all our new airplanes and have provided instructions on how to operate them safely.”
The new requirement only applies to newly produced aircraft and retrofitting is not required by the FAA. But the airline representative said, “Our current flight deck security procedures remain effective across the fleet and in full compliance with FAA rules.”
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