FAA Requires Physical Secondary Barrier To Protect Flight Deck

Those who have recently traveled on commercial airliners are probably familiar with a process during flight when a flight attendant maneuvers a beverage cart to the front of the aircraft and turns it perpendicularly. Then, the cockpit door pops open and one of the pilots exits in order to use the lavatory. During this time, the beverage cart serves as a physical barrier between the cabin and the cockpit. Once the pilot returns to the cockpit and latches the door, the flight attendant returns the beverage cart to the galley. This process is used to prevent intrusion into the flight deck when the cockpit door is open.

There is now a new requirement to protect the flight deck from intrusion which applies to operators conducting passenger-carrying operations under part 121. On June 14, 2023, the FAA adopted a rule requiring a secondary barrier on the flight deck of newly manufactured commercial aircraft. The secondary barrier, similar in function to a gate, will be