As of yesterday, easyJet will require two members of crew to be in the cockpit at all times.
It follows reports from French air crash investigators that the co-pilot of the Germanwings A320 Airbus, which crashed into the French Alps en route from Barcelona to Düsseldorf earlier this week, deliberately crashed the aircraft.
Audio evidence recovered from the plane’s black box flight recorder appears to show the pilot leaving the cockpit and then being unable to return before frantically banging on the flight deck door to try to regain entry.
Police are now searching the home of co-pilot Andreas Lubitz (27).
It was reported on Friday that officers had found significant clues he suffered a ‘psychological illness’.
In a statement, easyJet said passenger safety was their number one priority.
‘EasyJet can confirm that it will change its procedure which will mean that two crew members will be in the cockpit at all times.
‘This decision has been taken in consultation with the Civil Aviation Authority,’ the statement read.
‘The safety and security and of its passengers and crew is the airline’s highest priority.’
Meanwhile, Flybe, which offers flights from Jersey to places such as Guernsey, Birmingham and Southampton, said that it was already their policy to keep at least two members of crew in the cockpit at all times during a flight.
Statements from Channel Islands-based airlines Blue Islands and Aurigny have not yet been issued.
Tuesday 24 March
10:10 am: Germanwings’ Airbus A320 takes off from Barcelona, Spain, and is expected to land in Dusseldorf, Germany, 90 minutes later. It is carrying 150 people – 144 passengers and six crew
10:15 am: Co-pilot Andreas Lubitz and his captain can be heard on the cockpit voice recorder talking normally
10:30 am: The aircraft makes its final contact with air traffic controllers asking permission to continue on the current route above Digne
10.31 am: A chair is heard being pushed back and a door shuts. The captain, who was thought to be leaving the cockpit to use the toilet, tells Mr Lubitz in German ‘you have control’.
10.31 am: Mr Lubitz presses the button which sets the autopilot on a descent from 38,000ft to 100ft. The button cannot be pressed accidentally.
10:31 am: The captain tries to re-enter the cockpit but cannot.
10:31 – 10:40 am: The captian frantically knocks at the door and reportedly tries to break it down with an axe
10:35 am: French air traffic controllers issue the a distress signal after seeing the dramatic drop in altitude.
10:39 am: Passengers can be heard screaming and proximity alarms sound
10:40 am: French radars pick up the last signal of the plane at around 6,000 ft
10:41 am: The plane crashed into the French Alps at around 430 mph. All 150 people onboard are killed
