(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The European Aviation Safety Agency recommended yesterday that at least two people be present in the cockpit of planes at all times, following the apparently deliberate crashing of the Germanwings flight this week.
Prosecutors yesterday said the Germanwings co-pilot who crashed his Airbus into the French Alps hid a serious illness from the airline, amid reports he was severely depressed.
Transport ministries and aviation authorities in Germany, Austria and Portugal announced earlier in the day that they would be requiring the adoption of the so-called "rule of two", which is already standard in the US.
The regulation would come into immediate effect for Portugal's national airline, TAP Portugal, Secretary of State for Transport Sergio Monteiro said.
Air France and KLM followed suit, saying in a statement that they would implement the recommendation "as soon as possible".
Belgian companies - Brussels Airlines, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, and Jetairfly - also said they would put in place the two person rule along with Thomas Cook.
The moves came after initial investigations into the Germanwings crash indicated co-pilot Andreas Lubitz may have deliberately crashed the Airbus A320 into a mountain in France on Tuesday, killing all 150 people aboard, after locking the captain out of the cockpit.
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