The Federal Aviation Administration today filed a notice of proposed rulemaking regarding inflight surveillance of passenger cabins on commercial aircraft. If finalized, the rule would require passenger airplanes to be equipped with a system enabling the flight crew to visually monitor the area outside the cockpit door. In addition, FAA proposed a means for flight attendants to "discreetly notify the flight crew of suspicious activity or security breaches in the cabin."
The proposed changes address recommendations submitted by industry and government officials following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, including those of the International Civil Aviation Organization, the rapid-response teams created by Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta
(BTN, Sept. 24, 2001), and the Aviation and Transportation Security and Homeland Security acts passed by the U.S. Congress in November 2001.
FAA said, "there is a high probability that the benefits of this proposed rule would exceed its costs." It proposed a two-year window for the industry to evaluate various options and comply, following final adoption of the rules. FAA is soliciting public comment through Nov. 21.