(Bloomberg) -- Within hours of news emerging that a pilot apparently chose to kill himself and 149 others by crashing a Germanwings plane into a mountain, other carriers began adopting rules requiring at least two people in the cockpit.
Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA and EasyJet Plc in Europe, together with Air Canada, announced Thursday that they’ll follow a standard that already applies in the U.S., with a flight attendant occupying the second seat when one pilot exits.
Under Federal Aviation Administration rules, U.S. carriers must have two people on the flight-deck at all times, ensuring that someone is at hand in the event of an emergency or aberrant action concerning the lone pilot. In most parts of the world, the practice remains discretionary.
“Norwegian has been looking into changing its cockpit procedures for a while,” the Fornebu, Norway-based airline said in a statement. “In light of the tragic Germanwings accident, we are speeding up the process so that two crew members always are present in the cockpit. Our passengers’ and crew’s safety always comes first, which is why we have decided to change our procedures, in line with U.S. regulations.”
Norwegian said the rule change will be implemented as soon as it gets approval from local regulators. In Britain, EasyJet said procedures will change Friday since it has already consulted with the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority.
‘Queasy Feeling’
An Air Berlin Plc pilot took it upon himself to tell passengers that he’d always have a second person in the cockpit during a German domestic flight from Stuttgart to Berlin, according to a Bloomberg reporter on the service.
“I guess you all boarded with a queasy feeling today,” the captain said. “I for myself decided to change procedures today. There will always be a second person in the cockpit.”
Not all airlines have announced policy changes, with Air France-KLM Group saying that it’s monitoring the situation.
“Air France is following developments from the results of the judicial and technical investigations with keen attention,” it said today, adding that it’s in contact with the European Aviation Safety Agency about shaping future policy.
Easa rules say pilots must remain in the cockpit unless they need to exit “in connection with the operation” or for “physiological” requirements, such as going to the lavatory, and at least one pilot must remain at the controls at all times.
In Germany, a video camera must be in place so that a lone pilot can identify a colleague seeking entrance to the cockpit without leaving their seat.
Other regulators permit the use of peep-holes in the door. In such cases, another crew member must come into the cockpit when the second pilot leaves in order to identify them on their return while ensuring that the other pilot remains seated.
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