Southwest Airlines has begun flying its first aircraft with a secondary cockpit barrier. The Boeing 737 entered service on Aug. 29.
The folding door is located on the cabin side of the forward galley. Before a pilot exits or re-enters the cockpit, the door is to be closed as a security measure.
The addition of secondary cockpit barriers across U.S. airlines has been a priority of the Air Line Pilots Association since 9/11. Under an FAA regulation issued in 2023, all new planes delivered to U.S. carriers must have secondary barriers by August of next year. The requirement had been slated to take effect last month, but the FAA issued a one-year implementation delay in late July in response to a request by the Airlines for America lobbying group.
Southwest said that implementing the security measure a year early is a reflection of its robust approach to safety. The airline expects to have 26 aircraft with a sliding barrier in its fleet by the end of the year.
The FAA regulation does not require airlines to retrofit aircraft already in their fleets with secondary barriers. Southwest said it will evaluate whether to do so.