Southwest Airlines to begin flying first plane with secondary cockpit barrier

By David Shepardson

(Reuters) -Southwest Airlines said he would fly his first jet on Friday with a secondary obstacle to the flight deck designed to prevent interventions.

The airline said that the aircraft will make its first flight to Salt Lake City in the afternoon on Friday afternoon.

Pilot unions, on September 11, 2001, the long -term secondary obstacles for long -term assaults after attacks on the risks of insufficient flight detection protection are very important for aviation safety.

The flight is a milestone that points to the beginning of the output from the security feature in the new US commercial airline fleet in the coming years.

Boeing and Airbus, Reuters, announced in 2023 and entered into force on Monday with the obstacles within the scope of the regulation began to deliver aircraft.

Last month, the Federal Aviation Administration agreed to give airlines to prevent newly delivered aircraft until the end of July 2026. Most large carriers said they planned to benefit from FAA and they did not start using obstacles immediately.

Southwest chose to start to fit immediately because they were delivered by new aircraft, and this year is waiting to offer about 25 additional boeing planes that will have barriers.

Following the abduction of four US aircraft on September 11, 2001, the FAA adopted standards for the security of flight deck to make it resistant to unauthorized entry and unauthorized entry.

The rule requires aircraft manufacturers to establish a second physical obstacle to new aircraft used in the commercial passenger service in the United States, but does not require the renewal of existing aircraft.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Leslie Adler and Chris Sanders)