German airlines will no longer require two people to be in
the cockpit at all times, an industry group said Friday, abandoning a rule
introduced after a deadly crash in 2015.
"An evaluation has shown that the two-person rule does
not increase security, rather other risks to air security arise," the
statement from the German Aviation Association (BDL) said.
The requirement to have two people in the cockpit at all
times was introduced after Germanwings copilot Andreas Lubitz deliberately flew
a passenger plane into a French mountainside, killing 144 passengers and six
crew in March 2015.
Black box recordings showed that Lubitz, who had been
treated for mental health problems in the months before the disaster, locked
himself into the cockpit alone.
The BDL's decision follows an easing of the two-person rule
at the EU level by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in August last
year.
Instead of a blanket requirement, the EASA recommended using
the measure only on a case-by-case basis.
The BDL argued that allowing more people access to the
cockpit and opening the door more often and more obviously would raise the risk
of terrorists or criminals forcing their way in.
"Security dangers resulting from an outside attack...
must continue to be judged much more elevated than the danger from a so-called
homicide/suicide case," the group said.
It cited a historical survey showing that while there have
been 1,074 hijacking cases between 1931 and today, only four cases of pilot
suicide have been recorded.
Keeping cabin crew in the cockpit whenever one pilot was
absent would also leave them unable to help passengers in case of an emergency,
the statement said.
To minimise the risk of a repeat tragedy, the airlines said
they would step up mental health checks on pilots and offer aircrew access to
psychological support.
Source:www.phys.org
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