A recent incident on a Frontier Airlines flight from Puerto Rico to Chicago has raised concerns about airline security. A 51-year-old passenger, Juan Gabriel Reyes, attempted to open an exit door and then tried to force his way into the cockpit. According to court records, Reyes began “shoving his shoulder aggressively on the pilot’s door” and later attempted to choke an off-duty flight attendant before he was eventually restrained.
Airline Security Measures
The incident came just a few days after a United Airlines flight from Chicago to Minneapolis diverted to Madison, Wisconsin, after a passenger made “multiple attempts to try to breach the cockpit,” according to air traffic control audio reviewed by CNN. The recent disturbances are among 687 reports of unruly passengers the Federal Aviation Administration received so far this year, just as the busy summer travel season begins to ramp up.
No one has successfully stormed the cockpit of a commercial aircraft flying in the United States since the September 11, 2001 attacks, and multiple steps have been taken to keep a would-be attacker – or simply an out-of-control passenger – from doing so. The doors to the cockpit that recent passengers tried to breach were locked and reinforced to prevent anyone from getting inside.
Secondary Barriers
A 2023 FAA rule required new planes to have a secondary barrier that can be locked in place when the cockpit door must be opened. However, the FAA agreed to delay implementing the requirement until this August. The agency told CNN it granted temporary relief to airlines, allowing time to facilitate FAA certification, install barriers, and train crewmembers.
Aviation labor unions have opposed the delays and long argued that secondary barriers are needed. “It’s just one of the most easy, clear security enhancements that you can have on an airplane,” said Capt. Dennis Tajer, a spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association, which represents American Airlines’ pilots.
Some flights also include armed air marshals, trained federal agents who fly undercover to protect flights. Crimes aboard aircraft, like attempts to breach the cockpit, are subject to federal charges, and unruly passengers are often met at the gate by local law enforcement.
Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.
