Southwest Is The First Airline To Introduce This New Security Feature In Its Airplanes

There are always a fair bit of jitters that come along with airplane flights. Even if you've heard about TikTok's genius jello theory, flight anxiety still tends to creep in the back door. Well, you're not the only one who worries about flight security. While a number of security measures have been implemented in airports and planes since the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, pilot unions are still pushing for one crucial measure for pilot safety: Because the cockpit was breached and hijacked by a terrorist passenger during the attacks, pilots have been requesting that airlines install barriers between the cockpit and passenger cabin for more than 20 years. After the long push for better security, pilots' requests for extra barriers to be installed in airplanes are finally being implemented — and Southwest Airlines is the first to comply. 

The procedure most airlines currently use to protect the cockpit is to block the aisle with a beverage cart whenever the pilot needs to leave the cockpit (for example, to use the restroom). While this generally works, it wouldn't stop an aggressive passenger from making it into the cockpit. Instead, pilots have proposed that a "secondary barrier" be installed by all airlines to solidify cockpit security. The barrier would be a retractable door that would remain locked whenever the cockpit door is opened. This way, pilots are protected by more than a drink cart on wheels when they need to leave the cockpit. The proposed barrier was finally mandated to be installed in all newly manufactured airplanes by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2023.

The FAA has extended the mandate to be completed by July 2026, which gives airlines time to wait on the installments. While many airlines have decided to hold off on the secondary gate, Southwest is the first airline to install and fly a plane with this new safety upgrade. Its Boeing 737 plane successfully flew from Phoenix to Denver on Friday, August 29, 2025. "For Southwest, this was the right decision," Southwest Airlines told CNN in a statement. "We have a robust safety management system that takes a proactive approach when it comes to enhancing safety wherever possible."

Among America's safest airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines, and Alaska Airlines all told CBS they are in the process of producing planes with secondary barriers, while Delta has yet to comment on whether they are working on implementing the new safety mandate. While the U.S. Congress asked for all existing planes to be renovated with secondary barriers in 2024, at the moment, only new planes are being built with the secondary barriers installed. The FAA has not yet required all planes to be refitted with secondary barriers, nor certified a method for doing so.

This mandate has actually taken quite some time to go into effect. In 2007, the FAA enacted safety procedures for when pilots need to exit the cockpit. These include, but are not limited to, keeping the cockpit door locked unless a pilot needs to leave, blocking the aisle with a beverage cart, and having a flight attendant stand in front of the aisle. However, for years, pilot unions have insisted that cockpits still require improved security. As the president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Jason Ambrosi, said to CNN, "ensuring that no terrorist — domestic or international — breaches another aircraft flight deck door again should be one of this nation's highest security priorities."

The FAA has mainly attributed the delays to needing time to properly certify the barrier designs. Due to airlines' lack of proper implementation plans, many have negotiated for an extended deadline to install the new barriers. The 2026 deadline extension has been met with frustration from pilots, however, with Ambrosi telling FlightGlobal, "The FAA's decision to grant airlines yet another delay on the secondary barrier rule is deeply disappointing and undermines our nation's aviation security." While this safety measure is slow to take place, don't worry, flying is still one of the safest ways to travel.