Following the crash of the
German Wings Airline flight 9525, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has given its support to the internationally-recognised approach whereby a completed accident investigation will officially determine the causes and contribution factors of the accident and concurrently provide safety recommendations on appropriate preventive measures to avoid recurrences, as well as guideline for future consideration by ICAO, states and airlines.
ICAO, in a statement issued from its headquarters in Montreal, Canada, said it had developed international standards and recommended practices on the security of flight crew compartments which are presently contained in the annexes to the convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention).
The recommendations which though are not new in the industry have to do with operation of aircraft-airworthiness and security.
The first issue that ICAO placed on the front burner is personnel licensing which requires that all airline pilots undergo a periodic medical examination (by a doctor who is trained in aviation medicine) that includes both a physical and a mental assessment. If there is any concern from this medical screening then a further, more specialised, assessment can be undertaken that may include neuropsychological testing. Pilots also undergo periodic simulator checks as well as checks of performance during routine operations.
On Domestic Commercial Operations, ICAO recommended that international standards and recommended practice should be applied by all contracting states also in case of domestic commercial operations (air services).
On the security of the flight crew compartment, the United Nations body insists that in all aeroplanes which are equipped with a flight crew compartment door, this door shall be capable of being locked and means shall be provided by which cabin crew can discreetly notify the flight crew in the event of suspicious activity or security breaches in the cabin.
Interestingly since November 2003, ICAO had already issued a rule which makes it important that all passenger-carrying aeroplanes of a maximum certificated take-off mass in excess of 45,500kg or with a passenger seating capacity greater than 60 shall be equipped with an approved flight crew compartment door that is designed to resist penetration by small arms fire and grenade shrapnel and to resist forcible intrusions by unauthorised persons. This door shall be capable of being locked and unlocked from either pilots station.