The Transportation Security Administration says more than 17 million travelers flew during the long Labor Day weekend. Many may not have noticed a new safety feature on some Southwest flights: a retractable barrier designed to make the cockpit more secure.
New safety feature
Southwest Airlines has started equipping planes with a foldaway gate that blocks access to the cockpit when pilots step out, such as to use the restroom. Flight attendants deploy the barrier when pilots step away from the controls and then retract it when they return and shut the cockpit door.
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Southwest Spokesman Lynn Lunsford told Straight Arrow News this safety push dates all the way back to Sept. 11, 2001, and efforts to improve security.
“For Southwest, this was the right decision. We have a robust safety management system that takes a proactive approach when it comes to enhancing safety wherever possible,” he said.
By the end of the year, Southwest plans to equip more than two dozen planes with the barrier.
Currently, most airlines rely on the flight attendants to block the front aisle with a beverage cart when the cockpit door is open. Jones said the new system adds a clear layer of security — and may even improve the customer experience.
FAA rule on new security barrier
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Southwest expects to have 26 planes, equipped with the new barrier door to the cockpit, by the end of 2025.
In 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration passed a rule mandating such a safety feature, but only for all new aircraft. The rule stated, “The (FAA) will require a secondary barrier on the flight deck of new commercial airplanes to ensure the safety of aircraft, flight crew and air passengers. The final rule mandating the additional barrier will protect flight decks from intrusion when the flight deck door is open.”
The FAA said airlines don’t need to retrofit existing planes with the new device. Companies have the option of waiting for new aircraft with the new safety feature already installed. Southwest confirmed to Straight Arrow News that “every new aircraft we take delivery of will come off the line with this feature installed, adding another layer of protection.”
The Air Line Pilots Association has long pressed airlines to adopt stronger safety measures for cockpits, arguing that barriers like these are an important safeguard for crews and passengers alike.
