Aviation security policy changes after A320 crash

(Baonghean) - Immediately after investigators announced the cause of the Germanwings A320 crash was due to the co-pilot preventing the main pilot from returning to the cockpit before the A320 suddenly descended, many airlines around the world immediately changed their security policies.

Canada is considered the country that reacted the fastest after the A320 accident. On March 26, after there were assumptions that the co-pilot was the cause of the tragic plane crash, the Canadian government immediately required domestic airlines to always maintain the presence of both pilots in the cockpit. Later, two Canadian airlines, Air Transat and Air Canada, approved the above decision.

Canada requires airlines to maintain the presence of both pilots in the cockpit. Photo: Reuters

In Europe, British low-cost airline EasyJet announced a change in its flight policy on March 27. According to EasyJet, after consulting with the UK Civil Aviation Authority, the airline will allow a flight attendant or a manager into the cockpit if one of the two pilots is absent.

The German Federation of Air Transport Associations also plans to introduce a rule requiring two pilots to be in the cockpit at all times. Norwegian Shuttle and Icelandair are currently awaiting approval from the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority for a similar arrangement.

Other European airlines continue to consider introducing measures that would allow another person to be present in the cockpit when one of the two pilots is absent. However, these airlines are still waiting for the final results of French investigators before making an official decision. So far, a total of three airlines have applied the above rule: Finnair of Finland, Ryanair of Ireland and Iberia of Spain.

It is known that, up to now, the regulations of the European Aviation Safety Agency do not require a crew member to replace the pilot when one of the two leaves the cockpit. These regulations require the pilot to stay in the cockpit throughout the flight, but one of them can still be absent when there is a physiological need.

On the US side, since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the country has applied the above rule to its flights. According to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the FAA stipulates that there must always be a pilot and a co-pilot in the cockpit during takeoff and landing. One of them may be absent in case of “performing operations with the crew or when there is a physiological need”. When a pilot is absent, the FAA requires that there must always be a replacement crew member present in the cockpit and the cockpit door will always be locked until the other pilot returns.

Chu Thanh

(According to Le Monde March 27)