Urges Agency To Deny A4A’s Petition For 2-Year Pause

The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) urged the FAA to immediately deny a petition filed by Airlines for America (A4A) that seeks a two-year delay in implementing mandatory flight deck secondary barriers.

The union calls the delay inexcusable after 23 years of working for the requirement.

Capt. Jason Ambrosi, President of ALPA said, "As we approach the 24th anniversary of 9/11, it is imperative that we continue to honor those lost by implementing a critical aviation security regulation designed to prevent a repeat of that fateful day. ALPA has long advocated for secondary flight deck barriers, which are designed to prevent a breach by those who seek to do harm, and we were proud to lead the charge to get the legislation passed and ultimately the rule finalized by the FAA."

The A4A petition requests exemption from regs requiring Installed Physical Secondary Barriers (IPSB) on newly manufactured aircraft delivered after August 25, 2025. Secondary barriers are designed to eliminate a critical vulnerability when the flight deck door is opened during flight.

A4A’s petition claims airlines need up to 24 months to develop new crew training programs, a timeline which ALPA calls “grossly exaggerated.”

Ambrosi went on to say, "Airlines have had two years to implement the regulation, yet they are now attempting to further delay this needed aviation security enhancement. We urge the FAA to reject this latest stalling tactic and implement without delay the secondary barrier requirement as Congress mandated.

“Despite improvements since 9/11, flightdeck doors are often still opened during flight, leaving aircraft vulnerable during these transition periods, with flight attendants using beverage carts as the sole line of defense. As current procedures place individual crew members directly between an open flightdeck and potential threats, unruly passenger incidents and attempted breaches continue to occur regularly.

"We cannot continue to delay effective and necessary mitigations required by law. Aviation remains a primary target for terrorists who are constantly probing for weaknesses."

FMI:  www.alpa.org/