The FAA announced that more than 10,000 aircraft serving the United States are now equipped with new, hardened cockpit doors, making air travel safer for [cockpit crews].

FAA Administrator Marion C. Blakey said that the airlines met Wednesday's deadline to install doors that stop intruders and small-arms fire because of the extraordinary cooperation between the FAA and the door and airplane manufacturers. The FAA issued more than 30 design approvals for 25 airplane models, many within hours after receiving the final documentation from the manufacturer.

"These hardened doors are part of Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta's 'system of systems,' layers of dramatically increased security measures from curbside to the cockpit that make our aviation system safer than ever," said Blakey. "There was a unified sense of urgency and cooperation between industry and government worldwide."

U.S. Air Carriers

The Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA) of 2001 directed the FAA to improve airplane security both immediately (Phase I) and in the long-term (Phase II). On October 9, 2001, the FAA published the first of a series of Special Federal Aviation Regulations (SFARs) to expedite the modification of cockpit doors in the U.S. fleet. This Phase I fix included installation of steel bars and locking devices. The FAA determined that the security risk outweighed potential safety risks associated with the Phase I fix and granted short-term relief from certain airworthiness requirements, such as how the door performs during an unlikely rapid decompression. 

On January 15, 2002, the FAA published new standards to protect cockpits from intrusion and small-arms fire or fragmentation devices, such as grenades. The rule required U.S. operators of approximately 5,800 airplanes to install hardened doors by Wednesday. It also required that the doors remain locked and cockpit access controlled. These new Phase II doors meet all FAA design
standards.

Foreign Air Carriers

On June 21, 2002, the FAA published another final rule requiring foreign airlines to install new cockpit doors on aircraft serving the United States by Wednesday. The rule also requires that the cockpit door be closed and locked. The FAA worked closely with foreign aviation authorities and fully expects foreign airlines to meet the deadline. FAA inspectors conduct random ramp inspections of foreign airlines and may restrict flights if the FAA determines non-compliance on the part of a foreign airline. There are approximately 508 foreign (Part 129) airlines operating approximately 4,213 airplanes that are authorized to operate to the United States.

Costs mandated, only partially covered

The purchase of each cockpit door typically costs the airlines between $30,000 and $50,000. The cost varied for each airline depending on the number of aircraft being retrofitted for each model type. Congress originally appropriated $100 million to the FAA to distribute to U.S. airlines for aircraft security enhancements, $97 million of which were given to the airlines to help defray the costs of cockpit doors (approximately $13,000 per door). 

FMI: www.faa.gov