United Adds Another Layer to Cockpit Security

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United Adds Another Layer to Cockpit Security


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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - United Airlines plans to install steel cable barriers on its planes to block access from the passenger cabin to the flight deck when the cockpit door is open, government and airline officials said on Wednesday.
It is the first voluntary move by a major U.S. carrier to take structural steps to restrict cockpit access beyond a post Sept. 11 requirement by the government for airlines to install stronger cockpit doors.

Bankrupt United, the No. 2 airline, lost two planes in the 2001 hijack attacks.

Jeff Green, a United spokesman, said the secondary barrier resembles a fence that blocks the forward crew corridor from the passenger cabin. It can be locked into the place when pilots leave the cockpit to use the restroom or receive meals.

http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=6127958

[lanparty]

1. I thought you were going to say ...

... that they were going to station a security guard on the plane.
Nahh, that would make sense. The GOVERNMENT should pay to secure their business.

[petronius]

2. What do you mean?

United is paying for the barriers, and it doesn't appear from the article that they asked for additional funding. Personally, I think that an effective barrier to cockpit intrusions is a better choice than an on-board security guard...

[jmowreader]

3. Why not just move the cockpit door back?

It looks like it would be fairly simple to put a door aft of the forward lavatory. They might have to change the handing on the lavatory door--IIRC a 737 has a left-hand door on the forward lav and would need a right-hand door so they could get into the pilot's lav with the security door closed--but this is no problem.

Next, install a flight-crew MicroFridge and a flight-crew coffeepot. With this setup, the captain and the first officer could shut the door and have everything they needed for their mission--coffee, sodas, bottled water, food, a restroom.