Boeing's New Cockpit Doors

Boeing is completing the design of new, intrusion-resistant cockpit doors for its commercial aircraft, and expects to start shipping modification kits to its customers in April, according to Boeing Commercial Airplane technical services VP John Banbury. Boeing will establish a flow of kits to its customers to match the rate at which they install them, with the aim of meeting the 2003 retrofit deadline set by the U.S. government.

The new doors are designed to protect against blunt force, small explosive devices, hand tools or small-caliber firearms. (Larger weapons are easier to keep off the airplane through the screening process.) The doors feature a keypad lock on the outside, which can be disabled by a switch in the cockpit. Unlike the temporary reinforced doors installed since September 11, they meet existing standards for crew egress and depressurization. The door kits can be installed by three workers during a single overnight shift, Boeing estimates.

Boeing is also offering a cabin video surveillance system, using two low-light cameras, one in the door and the other just behind it. This will allow the crew to identify anyone seeking access to the cockpit, and to see if anyone is threatening or interfering with the cabin crew. The crew will be able to view the video on a hand-held screen. Another aircraft modification under development is a new transponder with a hijack mode, in which it cannot be turned off.

Other units of Boeing are also addressing the wider security picture, says Banbury. Boeing FlightSafety, for example, is developing anti-hijacking training systems for flight crews, and is working on training for security screening staff.

By Bill Sweetman