Page 18 - The Pilot News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Especially. we are here in cologne because the ceo of lufthansa will be holding a news conference in a few minutes, where we expect to potentially learn more about the copilot. exactly what sort of safety precautions they have in place for cockpit security. whether or not somebody is supposed to be blocking the doors so it doesn't close if one of the pilot's leave as are the procedures in the states or if they're different here. we know they vary from country to country and from airline to airline. we'll find out exactly what their procedures are and whether or not they're going to change in f...

Well, their protocol is very different from our protocol in the united states where if the co-pilot or pilot leaves usually a flight attendant will go in to make sure there is a second person there. not the protocol he said. in fact, in most of europe and indicated the ceo of lufthansa, he sees no reason to change that protocol obviously put into place post- 9/11. >> again it really seemed it's american-based carriers that have this protocol. >> i think there are others but he said the majority of the major ones in europe don't have that. >> and so, chris, here's the question. this is a co-pil...

Incorporate or not incorporate other than those -- those nationally put-in rules. >> exactly. there are those broad mandates as you said and then airlines have their procedures. jose, you know the frustrating thing is that it's hard to optimize for everything. i mean let's consider for a moment that that re-enforced cockpit door that's so difficult to enter, that's there partly because of 9/11. you know the idea was, if anything, people inside cockpit are more trustworthy than somebody perhaps outside the cockpit trying to get in so hard to you know on one hand try to secure that environment i...

The pilot did exactly what he was expected to do. waited until the plane reached the adequate height and then he left the cockpit. of course, the co-pilot had the air transport pie pilot license as the first officers and he was qualified to fly this plane as other planes as well. >> did you have a conversation between the pilot and co-pilot just before the pilot left? >> i can only refer to the french prosecutor. there was a technical briefing about the flight and then the captain turned the -- the wheels so to speak over to the co-pilot and then left the cockpit.

The pilot or co-pilot has to report these situations. in general there is the duty to report on such incidents. for instance special events. they are determined by our laws. >> apologies if you've already answered this but are there regulations where a flight attendant has to be in the cockpit if a pilot has a bathroom break or goes to get a coffee? >> well there is regulations in some parts of the world, including the one i assume you are coming from the u.s. but only a small number of airlines in europe as far as i know no but airlines -- for sure none of the big airlines that we work with. ...