European Commission Creates Task Force on Cockpit Safety

European Commissioner Violeta Bulc today asked the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to create a task force on cockpit safety and security following the publication earlier this week of the French BEA accident investigation agency's preliminary investigation report on last month's crash of a Germanwings Airbus A320 in the French Alps. She asked EASA to review cockpit door locking system and cockpit access and exit procedures, as well criteria and procedures focusing on the monitoring of pilots' medical conditions.

The task force is expected to gather senior safety and medical staff from the industry and regulators. It will use data from the preliminary investigation report, as well as interview industry experts, while also digging deeper into the results of the ongoing Germanwings investigation. It will run in parallel to the independent safety investigation led by the French Civil Aviation Safety Investigation Authority.