The Saracini Enhanced Aviation Safety Act of 2019 mandates inexpensive wire-mesh gates to be installed on existing aircraft between the passenger cabin and the cockpit door that would block access to the flight deck whenever the cockpit door is opened during flight
The Times
U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick joined Democratic Reps. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey and André Carson of Indiana and New York Republican Rep. Peter King in introducing legislation to require the installation of secondary cockpit barriers on most commercial aircraft to prevent terrorist attacks similar to 9/11.
The Saracini Enhanced Aviation Safety Act of 2019 [H.R. 911] mandates inexpensive, lightweight wire-mesh gates to be installed on existing aircraft between the passenger cabin and the cockpit door that would block access to the flight deck whenever the cockpit door is opened during flight.
H.R. 911 is named in memory of Victor J. Saracini, a Lower Makefield resident who was killed when his aircraft was hijacked and flown into the South Tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
His widow, Ellen, has become a national advocate for aviation safety following the 9/11 attacks.
“It is unacceptable that, more than 17 years after terrorists breached the cockpit of my husband’s airplane on Sept. 11, 2001, our skies are still susceptible to repeat this act of terrorism. It is my mission to ensure we are doing everything we can to protect the flight deck aboard our nation’s airliners because, without secondary barriers, we are just as vulnerable today as we were on that fateful day,” Saracini said. “We need to call on the FAA to act swiftly on legislation passed last Congress to implement a secondary barrier on newly manufactured aircraft for delivery. I’m pleased that a bipartisan group of leaders in the 116th Congress are wasting no time to address retrofitting the remaining aircraft with secondary barriers and continue protecting all who travel in the skies above us.”
Secondary barriers are estimated to cost $5,000 to $12,000 per aircraft.
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