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1 1 (June 22, 2023)

handle is hein.crs/govelzx0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Con gressWonaI Research SerVic informing hej lgsaive debt m sne 19IS14 June 22, 2023 Secondary Cockpit Barriers for Airline Aircraft For the past two decades, there has been continuing policy interest in enhancing airline in-flight security with secondary cockpit barriers. A secondary cockpit barrier, also known as an installed physical secondary barrier (IPSB), typically consists of a lockable gate constructed of metal rods, bars, and cables or similar intrusion-resistant materials that retracts when not in use. A suitable barrier is designed to be positioned between the aircraft cabin and the cockpit; occupy sufficient space so that it cannot be circumvented by going over, under, or around it; and be resistant to intrusion, including forceful attempts to pull it open or down or push through it. An IPSB primarily serves as a means to prevent or deter access to the aircraft cockpit when a cockpit door is briefly opened, for example, when a pilot exits the cockpit to use the lavatory, when the flight crew are served food, or during shift changes on long-haul flights. Historical Context Following the September 11, 2001 (9/11), terrorist attacks, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandated hardened cockpit doors that are resistant to forcible intrusion and small firearms on most passenger airline aircraft and large, all-cargo airplanes operated in the United States. Regulations generally require those doors to remain closed and locked for the entire duration of a flight with few exceptions, and special procedural measures must be taken in those rare instances when a door is opened to deter potential attempts to breach a cockpit. However, security concerns over potential flight deck breaches by terrorists or unruly passengers have prompted continued interest in secondary cockpit barriers. The investigation of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (the 9/11 Commission) did not find conclusive evidence as to how the 9/11 hijackers gained access to the aircraft flight decks in those attacks, but did find evidence of the terrorists making specific inquiries and plotting to exploit opportunities when cockpit doors were opened. The pre-9/11 industry-wide common strategy of cooperating with hijackers and avoiding direct confrontation would have rendered physical barriers, such as hardened cockpit doors and secondary barriers, largely irrelevant. After the 9/11 attacks, the installation of hardened cockpit doors and implementation of procedures to defend the cockpit against any intrusions have prompted reviews of potential vulnerabilities, including during times when cockpit doors are opened in flight. In 2004, United Airlines and Northwest Airlines (Northwest later merged with Delta) equipped some widebody jets with secondary cockpit barriers; other airlines did not follow suit. In 2007, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) published a position paper urging government action to mandate secondary cockpit barriers by 2010; the issue has remained a top priority for the organization since. In 2011, RTCA, Inc., an independent standards development organization for aviation, developed guidance on the design and operational procedures for aircraft secondary barrier systems. In 2015, FAA issued an advisory recognizing the RTCA guidance on secondary barriers as a means to block access to the flight deck using an IPSB as an acceptable alternative to commonly employed methods that rely on cabin crew monitoring and impeding access to the flight deck with galley carts or other aircraft equipment. Congressional Action Since the 108th Congress in 2004 (see H.R. 4801), various legislative proposals have been introduced seeking action to require secondary cockpit barriers on certain commercial aircraft. In the 113th Congress, the Saracini Aviation Safety Act of 2013 (H.R. 1775, S. 1495) was introduced. The bill, named after Captain Victor J. Saracini, whose hijacked airplane was flown into the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City in the 9/11 attacks, would have mandated the installation and use of secondary cockpit barriers on all aircraft that are required by regulation to have hardened cockpit doors. This generally includes all airliners with 20 or more passenger seats and any all-cargo aircraft with a payload capacity greater than 7,500 pounds. Similar legislation offered in the 114th Congress (H.R. 911, S. 911) and 115th Congress (H.R. 911) would have mandated secondary cockpit barriers on commercial aircraft with more than 75 passenger seats or with a maximum gross takeoff weight of 75,000 pounds. Section 336 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-254), titled the Saracini Aviation Safety Act of 2018, mandated an FAA order by October 5, 2019, requiring installation of a secondary flight deck barrier on all newly manufactured aircraft delivered to U.S. passenger airlines. Regulatory Action In response to the statutory mandate in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, FAA convened an Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee Working Group on flight deck secondary barriers in March 2019. The working group's February 2020 report to the FAA contained cost estimates and recommendations regarding the engineering and design of IPSBs, including loads and forces to withstand, placement in aircraft cabins, crew training, and operational procedures. It advised against expanding the requirement to include all-cargo aircraft and suggested that ISPBs may be unnecessary on smaller aircraft that operate strictly on short-haul flights, and may be procedurally impractical on flights staffed by one cabin crewmember. In August 2022, FAA published proposed rulemaking, and in June 2023 it issued a final rule that would require installation of secondary cockpit barriers on newly delivered airline aircraft, and would require those barriers

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