FAA Pushes For Bulletproof Cockpit Door Deadline

The Federal Aviation Administration today convened a meeting in Washington with air carriers and aircraft manufacturers to reinforce the April 9, 2003, deadline by which all cockpit doors must be made bulletproof. FAA acting director Monte Belger said "many" new fleet models still lacked design approval.

Immediately following Sept. 11, FAA mandated that U.S. airlines install temporary reinforcement bars on their cockpit doors by the end of 2001. FAA received compliance from all U.S. airlines and allowed liberties with regard to design of the security mechanism.

However, the installation of bulletproof doors-which must be in place on all carriers by spring--remains far from complete. So far, only about half of the U.S. commercial fleet has designs certified under the new standard, though FAA said it expected to reach 80 percent to 90 percent by fall. The five categories of currently certified aircraft include the DC-9, Airbus 319, 320 and 321, Boeing 737-300, -400, -500 and -700 configurations, the Boeing 757-200 and its 747-400.

Though the Air Transport Association said that manufacturers have fallen behind in their role, both Boeing and Airbus have pledged they will meet the deadline. Foreign carriers are responsible for meeting the same April deadline, which FAA maintains is necessary to ensure security. "If domestic and international requirements are not synchronized, the security risk will be shifted to the unprotected aircraft," according FAA spokesperson Alison Duquette. Non-complying aircraft will not be permitted to enter the country after the deadline.