ISTANBUL
Several major Turkish aviation companies are planning to review policies regarding requirements for two crew members to be present in cockpits at all times after the fatal Germanwings air disaster earlier this week.
According to emerging reports from investigators, the co-pilot of the Germanwings Airbus A320 first locked his colleague out of the cockpit, and then deliberately crashed the plane into the French Alps on Tuesday, killing all 150 on board.
Since then several European airlines have announced changes in operating procedures, to ensure there are two crew members in a the cockpit at all times.
"Like each rule in the aviation sector, adopting the new cockpit rule is based on experience and is totally reasonable" said Serdar Alyamac, Senior Manager of Corporate Communications at Turkey’s SunExpress Airlines.
According to Alyamac, SunExpress is not immediately set to adopt the so-called rule-of-two in the cockpit "but we are continuing our investigations. In line with these investigations, our management will gather and review the policy in the next days" he said.
Antalya-based SunExpress was established in October 1989, and operates passenger flights to various destinations in Europe, Asia and North Africa.
According to Alpay Yalcinkaya, press adviser to Turkish Airlines, the flag carrier – also the fourth-largest carrier in the world – already requires two crew members to be present in the cockpit at all times.
"In Turkish Airlines, in accordance with aviation rules, if one of the pilots exits the flight deck for any reason, another crew member must stay in the cockpit until the pilot returns," Yalcinkaya told The Anadolu Agency.
The U.S. has strict rules about presence in the cockpit.
When one of the pilots exits the cockpit for any reason, a qualified crew member – a flight attendant or a relief pilot serving as part of the crew – must replace him or her, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a written response to questions raised by the French disaster.
Europe does not yet impose the same regulation. A spokesman for the European Aviation Safety Agency in Cologne said in an interview that there is no regulatory requirement in Europe for a cabin crew member to be present in the cockpit when one of the pilots leaves.
"Easyjet can confirm that it will change its procedure,” the U.K. airline said in a statement on Friday. The U.K.’s Civil Aviation Authority told press that it was reconsidering its regulations.
Norwegian Air Shuttle also said on Thursday that the airline would bring in a new rule for this procedure into effect "without delay."
The Canadian Aviation Authority has asked all U.K. carriers to review procedures. “Following the details that have emerged regarding the tragic Germanwings incident, we are coordinating closely with colleagues at the European Aviation Safety Agency and have contacted all U.K. operators to require them to review all relevant procedures,” a spokesman said on Friday.
Lufthansa declined to comment on the rule change.
