Airlines Move to Adopt New Global Cockpit Policy

In response to the Germanwings Airbus A320 crash, airlines around the world  have commenced moves  to implement a policy requiring two crew members to be in the cockpit at all times during flights.

The implementation of the new policy is coming on the heels of European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) adoption of the policy,

Germanwings parent Lufthansa Group announced it is implementing it and the Canadian government said it would mandate it for Canada’s airlines. Air France-KLM said it would implement the EASA recommendation “as soon as possible.”

In announcing a change in its cockpit procedures, Air Malta said, “The devastating airline incident this week has sparked a discussion around the world about how crew policies can be improved to enhance passenger safety In light of this, we have decided with immediate effect to make it compulsory to have two crew members in the cockpit at all times.”

Lithuania’s Air Lituanica issued a statement to assure passengers it already has a two crew in the cockpit policy in place. Berlin-based Germania said it is introducing “the ‘two-person’ cockpit rule on all commercial flights,” adding, “It is imperative that two authorized persons be present in the cockpit at all times.”

Under current European regulations, a pilot must remain at the station unless there is a need to leave for physiological reasons, or reasons related to the operations of the aircraft.

“If a pilot needs to leave the cockpit, for example to go to the bathroom, at least one qualified pilot needs to remain at the controls of the plane. There is no requirement from the regulation that in this case another crew member must be present in the cockpit,” an EASA spokesman told ATW.

Pilots must also be able to monitor the area outside the cockpit area. This can be done by a member of cabin crew controlling the cockpit door while one of the pilots is away from their post, or via CCTV cameras, which eliminates the need for cabin crew monitoring, the EASA spokesman said.

EASA Safety Information Bulletin (SIB) Number 2015-04,  issued  last week is not mandatory, but advised national aviation authorities and airlines to re-assess the safety and security risks associated with crew members leaving the cockpit.

Specifically, it recommends that airlines implement procedures requiring at least two authorized people to be in the flight crew compartment at all times, or equivalent mitigating measures. “This will be reviewed in the light of any new information concerning the accident investigation or the implementation of this SIB,” EASA said.

In the US, there is no explicit rule requiring two crew members to be in the cockpit during flight; however, this has evolved as an FAA-approved standard operating procedure for US carriers.