{"id":26494201,"date":"2026-10-04T12:38:03","date_gmt":"2026-10-04T10:38:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\/"},"modified":"2026-10-04T12:38:29","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T10:38:29","slug":"two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\/","title":{"rendered":"Two-Person Cockpit Rule Explained: Germanwings, EASA and What Changed"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\n\n<style>\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid #0F1720;background:#fff;color:#0F1720;font-family:inherit;font-size:14px;font-weight:700;line-height:1;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;cursor:pointer;box-shadow:none;transition:background .15s,color .15s}\n.mfsh-trigger:hover,.mfsh-trigger:focus-visible{background:#0F1720;color:#fff;outline:none}\n.mfsh-trigger svg{width:18px;height:18px;display:block;flex-shrink:0}\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-bottom{margin:8px 0 28px}\n.mfsh-meta{position:relative;padding-right:190px}\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-inmeta{position:absolute;right:0;bottom:0;margin:0;height:30px;padding:0 8.9px;font-size:13px}\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-inmeta svg{width:16px;height:16px}\n.mfsh-overlay{position:fixed;inset:0;background:rgba(15,23,32,.55);z-index:99999;display:flex;align-items:flex-end;justify-content:center;opacity:0;pointer-events:none;transition:opacity .2s}\n.mfsh-overlay.mfsh-open{opacity:1;pointer-events:auto}\n.mfsh-sheet{width:100%;max-width:520px;background:#fff;color:#0F1720;padding:18px 20px 28px;transform:translateY(24px);transition:transform .22s;box-shadow:0 12px 32px rgba(15,23,32,.25);font-family:inherit;max-height:92vh;overflow:auto;-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch}\n.mfsh-overlay.mfsh-open .mfsh-sheet{transform:none}\n@media (min-width:640px){.mfsh-overlay{align-items:center}.mfsh-sheet{padding-bottom:20px}}\n.mfsh-head{display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:space-between;margin:0 0 14px}\n.mfsh-head strong{font-size:18px;font-weight:800;display:flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;line-height:1}\n.mfsh-head strong svg{width:18px;height:18px}\n.mfsh-close{background:none;border:0;padding:6px;margin:0;cursor:pointer;color:#0F1720;line-height:0;box-shadow:none}\n.mfsh-close svg{width:18px;height:18px}\n.mfsh-preview{display:grid;grid-template-columns:96px 1fr;gap:12px;border:1px solid #DCE3EE;background:#F5F7FB;padding:10px;margin:0 0 12px;align-items:center}\n.mfsh-preview img{width:96px;height:72px;object-fit:cover;display:block;margin:0}\n.mfsh-preview .mfsh-kicker{font-size:10px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.14em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#5C91FF;margin:0 0 4px;line-height:1.2}\n.mfsh-preview .mfsh-title{font-size:14px;line-height:1.3;font-weight:700;margin:0;display:block}\n.mfsh-list{display:grid;margin:0;padding:0}\n.mfsh-item{display:flex;align-items:center;gap:14px;height:50px;width:100%;border:0;border-top:1px solid #DCE3EE;background:none;padding:0 4px;margin:0;text-align:left;font-family:inherit;font-size:15px;font-weight:600;color:#0F1720;cursor:pointer;box-shadow:none;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;line-height:1}\n.mfsh-item:hover,.mfsh-item:focus-visible{background:#F5F7FB;outline:none}\n.mfsh-item svg{width:20px;height:20px;color:#5C91FF;flex-shrink:0;display:block}\n.mfsh-item small{margin-left:auto;color:#5B6674;font-weight:500;font-size:12px}\n.mfsh-item.mfsh-done svg{color:#1E9E5A}\n.mfsh-toast{position:fixed;left:50%;bottom:32px;transform:translate(-50%,10px);background:#0F1720;color:#fff;padding:10px 16px;font-weight:700;font-size:13px;font-family:inherit;opacity:0;pointer-events:none;transition:opacity .2s,transform .2s;z-index:100000}\n.mfsh-toast.mfsh-show{opacity:1;transform:translate(-50%,0)}\n@media (prefers-reduced-motion:reduce){.mfsh-overlay,.mfsh-sheet,.mfsh-toast,.mfsh-trigger{transition:none}}\n<\/style>\n<svg width=\"0\" height=\"0\" style=\"position:absolute\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-share\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.9\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"M12 3v12M8 7l4-4 4 4M5 12v8h14v-8\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-close\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"m5 5 14 14M19 5 5 19\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-wa\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M12 2a10 10 0 0 0-8.6 15.1L2 22l5.1-1.3A10 10 0 1 0 12 2Zm0 1.8a8.2 8.2 0 1 1-4.2 15.3l-.3-.2-3 .8.8-2.9-.2-.3A8.2 8.2 0 0 1 12 3.8Zm-3 4.4c-.2 0-.5 0-.8.4-.3.3-1 1-1 2.4s1 2.8 1.2 3c.1.2 2 3.2 5 4.4 2.5 1 3 .8 3.5.7.5 0 1.7-.7 2-1.4.2-.7.2-1.3.1-1.4l-.5-.3-2-1c-.3 0-.5-.1-.7.2l-.9 1.1c-.2.2-.3.2-.6.1-.3-.2-1.3-.5-2.4-1.5-.9-.8-1.5-1.8-1.7-2-.2-.4 0-.5.2-.7l.4-.5.3-.5v-.5l-.9-2.2c-.2-.5-.4-.5-.6-.5H9Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-x\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M17.8 3h3l-6.7 7.7L22 21h-6.2l-4.8-6.3L5.4 21h-3l7.2-8.2L2 3h6.3l4.4 5.8L17.8 3Zm-1.1 16.2h1.7L7.4 4.7H5.6l11.1 14.5Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-fb\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M13.5 22v-8h2.7l.4-3.2h-3.1V8.8c0-.9.3-1.6 1.6-1.6h1.7V4.4c-.3 0-1.3-.1-2.5-.1-2.5 0-4.1 1.5-4.1 4.2v2.3H7.4V14h2.8v8h3.3Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-li\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M6.5 8.5H3V21h3.5V8.5ZM4.8 3a2 2 0 1 0 0 4 2 2 0 0 0 0-4ZM21 13.4c0-3.4-1.8-5.2-4.5-5.2-1.6 0-2.7.8-3.2 1.7V8.5H9.9V21h3.4v-6.4c0-1.7.6-2.8 2.1-2.8 1.4 0 2 1 2 2.8V21H21v-7.6Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-rd\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M22 12.1a2.4 2.4 0 0 0-4.1-1.7 11.7 11.7 0 0 0-5.5-1.7l1-4.5 3.1.7a1.7 1.7 0 1 0 .2-1l-3.6-.8a.5.5 0 0 0-.6.4l-1.1 5.2a11.8 11.8 0 0 0-5.8 1.7A2.4 2.4 0 1 0 3 14.3v.5c0 3.4 4 6.2 9 6.2s9-2.8 9-6.2v-.5a2.4 2.4 0 0 0 1-2.2ZM7.5 13.8a1.7 1.7 0 1 1 3.4 0 1.7 1.7 0 0 1-3.4 0Zm8.9 4.5c-1.2 1.2-3.4 1.3-4.4 1.3s-3.3-.1-4.4-1.3a.5.5 0 0 1 .7-.7c.7.8 2.4 1 3.7 1s2.9-.2 3.7-1a.5.5 0 0 1 .7.7Zm-.6-2.8a1.7 1.7 0 1 1 0-3.4 1.7 1.7 0 0 1 0 3.4Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-tg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M21.9 4.6 18.7 19.9c-.2 1-.9 1.3-1.7.8l-4.9-3.6-2.3 2.3c-.3.3-.5.5-1 .5l.4-5 9-8.2c.4-.3-.1-.5-.6-.2L6.4 13.5 1.6 12c-1-.3-1.1-1 .2-1.5l18.8-7.2c.9-.3 1.6.2 1.3 1.3Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-mail\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" d=\"M3 6h18v12H3z\"\/><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" d=\"m3 7 9 6 9-6\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-link\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.9\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"M10 14a4 4 0 0 0 5.7 0l3-3a4 4 0 0 0-5.7-5.7l-1.5 1.5M14 10a4 4 0 0 0-5.7 0l-3 3a4 4 0 0 0 5.7 5.7l1.5-1.5\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-more\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><circle cx=\"5\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><circle cx=\"12\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><circle cx=\"19\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><\/symbol>\n<\/svg>\n<span class=\"mfsh-top-slot\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger\" data-mfsh-placement=\"top\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button><\/span>\n<script>\n(function(){\n  if (window.__mfsh) return; window.__mfsh = true;\n  var SECTION = 'afterburner';\n  function meta(p){ var m=document.querySelector('meta[property=\"'+p+'\"]'); return m ? m.getAttribute('content') : ''; }\n  function pageUrl(){ var c=document.querySelector('link[rel=\"canonical\"]'); return (c && c.href) || (location.origin + location.pathname); }\n  function pageTitle(){ var h=document.querySelector('h1.entry-title'); return (h && h.textContent.trim()) || meta('og:title') || document.title; }\n  function slug(){ return location.pathname.replace(\/\\\/+$\/,'').split('\/').pop() || 'home'; }\n  function kicker(){ var c=document.querySelector('.et_pb_title_container a[rel=\"category tag\"], .et_pb_title_container a[rel=\"category\"], a[rel=\"category tag\"]'); return 'Afterburner' + (c && c.textContent.trim() ? ' \u00b7 ' + c.textContent.trim() : ''); }\n  function shareUrl(ch, placement){ return pageUrl() + '?utm_source=share&utm_medium=' + ch + '&utm_campaign=' + SECTION + '&utm_content=sheet_' + placement; }\n  function track(ch, placement, extra){\n    window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];\n    var ev = { event:'share', share_channel:ch, share_variant:'sheet', share_placement:placement, page_section:SECTION, content_id:slug() };\n    if (extra) for (var k in extra) ev[k]=extra[k];\n    window.dataLayer.push(ev);\n  }\n  var CH = [\n    ['whatsapp','WhatsApp','mfsh-i-wa',''],\n    ['x','X','mfsh-i-x',''],\n    ['facebook','Facebook','mfsh-i-fb',''],\n    ['linkedin','LinkedIn','mfsh-i-li',''],\n    ['reddit','Reddit','mfsh-i-rd','r\/aviation, r\/WarplanePorn'],\n    ['telegram','Telegram','mfsh-i-tg',''],\n    ['email','Email','mfsh-i-mail',''],\n    ['copy','Copy link','mfsh-i-link',''],\n    ['native','More','mfsh-i-more','Instagram, Signal, AirDrop']\n  ];\n  var overlay, toastEl, toastT, placement = 'top';\n  function build(){\n    overlay = document.createElement('div'); overlay.className = 'mfsh-overlay'; overlay.setAttribute('role','dialog'); overlay.setAttribute('aria-modal','true'); overlay.setAttribute('aria-label','Share');\n    var img = meta('og:image');\n    var items = CH.filter(function(c){ return c[0] !== 'native' || !!navigator.share; }).map(function(c){\n      return '<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-item\" data-mfsh-ch=\"'+c[0]+'\"><svg><use href=\"#'+c[2]+'\"\/><\/svg>'+c[1]+(c[3]?'<small>'+c[3]+'<\/small>':'')+'<\/button>';\n    }).join('');\n    overlay.innerHTML = '<div class=\"mfsh-sheet\"><div class=\"mfsh-head\"><strong><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share<\/strong><button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-close\" aria-label=\"Close\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-close\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>'\n      + '<div class=\"mfsh-preview\">' + (img ? '<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"'+img+'\" alt=\"\">' : '<span><\/span>') + '<div><div class=\"mfsh-kicker\">'+kicker()+'<\/div><span class=\"mfsh-title\">'+pageTitle()+'<\/span><\/div><\/div>'\n      + '<div class=\"mfsh-list\">'+items+'<\/div><\/div>';\n    document.body.appendChild(overlay);\n    toastEl = document.createElement('div'); toastEl.className = 'mfsh-toast'; document.body.appendChild(toastEl);\n    overlay.addEventListener('click', function(e){\n      if (e.target === overlay || e.target.closest('.mfsh-close')) { close(); return; }\n      var b = e.target.closest('.mfsh-item'); if (b) act(b.getAttribute('data-mfsh-ch'), b);\n    });\n    document.addEventListener('keydown', function(e){ if (e.key === 'Escape') close(); });\n  }\n  function open(p){ placement = p || 'top'; if (!overlay) build(); overlay.classList.add('mfsh-open'); track('open', placement); }\n  function close(){ if (overlay) overlay.classList.remove('mfsh-open'); }\n  function toast(m){ toastEl.textContent = m; toastEl.classList.add('mfsh-show'); clearTimeout(toastT); toastT = setTimeout(function(){ toastEl.classList.remove('mfsh-show'); }, 1600); }\n  function act(ch, btn){\n    var url = shareUrl(ch, placement), t = pageTitle(), enc = encodeURIComponent;\n    if (ch === 'copy') {\n      var done = function(){ toast('Link copied'); btn.classList.add('mfsh-done'); setTimeout(function(){ btn.classList.remove('mfsh-done'); close(); }, 900); };\n      track(ch, placement);\n      if (navigator.clipboard && navigator.clipboard.writeText) navigator.clipboard.writeText(url).then(done, done); else done();\n      return;\n    }\n    if (ch === 'native') {\n      track(ch, placement, { share_result:'opened' });\n      navigator.share({ title:t, text:t, url:url }).then(function(){ track('native', placement, { share_result:'completed' }); close(); }).catch(function(){});\n      return;\n    }\n    var target = {\n      whatsapp: 'https:\/\/api.whatsapp.com\/send?text=' + enc(t + ' ' + url),\n      x:        'https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=' + enc(t) + '&url=' + enc(url) + '&via=MiGFlug',\n      facebook: 'https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=' + enc(url),\n      linkedin: 'https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/sharing\/share-offsite\/?url=' + enc(url),\n      reddit:   'https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=' + enc(url) + '&title=' + enc(t),\n      telegram: 'https:\/\/t.me\/share\/url?url=' + enc(url) + '&text=' + enc(t),\n      email:    'mailto:?subject=' + enc(t) + '&body=' + enc('Thought you would like this, from Afterburner, MiGFlug\\'s magazine:\\n' + t + '\\n' + url)\n    }[ch];\n    track(ch, placement);\n    if (target) { if (ch === 'email') location.href = target; else window.open(target, '_blank', 'noopener,width=680,height=560'); }\n    close();\n  }\n  var mq = window.matchMedia('(min-width:981px)');\n  function place(){\n    var t = document.querySelector('.mfsh-trigger[data-mfsh-placement=\"top\"]'), slot = document.querySelector('.mfsh-top-slot');\n    var meta = [].slice.call(document.querySelectorAll('.et_pb_title_meta_container, .et_post_meta_wrapper .post-meta, .single .post-meta')).filter(function(m){ return m.offsetParent !== null; })[0];\n    if (!t || !slot) return;\n    if (meta && mq.matches) { meta.classList.add('mfsh-meta'); t.classList.add('mfsh-inmeta'); if (t.parentNode !== meta) meta.appendChild(t); var a = meta.querySelector('a'); if (a) { var pr = document.createElement('span'); pr.style.cssText = 'display:inline-block;width:0;height:0;vertical-align:baseline'; a.appendChild(pr); var base = pr.getBoundingClientRect().bottom; pr.remove(); var fs = parseFloat(getComputedStyle(a).fontSize) || 14, mb = meta.getBoundingClientRect().bottom; t.style.bottom = Math.max(0, mb - (base + fs * 0.12)) + 'px'; } }\n    else { t.classList.remove('mfsh-inmeta'); if (t.parentNode !== slot) slot.appendChild(t); }\n  }\n  if (document.readyState === 'loading') document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', place); else place(); window.addEventListener('load', place); if (document.fonts && document.fonts.ready) document.fonts.ready.then(place); window.addEventListener('resize', place);\n  if (mq.addEventListener) mq.addEventListener('change', place); else mq.addListener(place);\n  document.addEventListener('click', function(e){ var b = e.target.closest('.mfsh-trigger'); if (b) { e.preventDefault(); open(b.getAttribute('data-mfsh-placement') || 'top'); } });\n})();\n<\/script><!-- \/mfsh:top -->\n<p>For about two years after March 2015, if you flew with almost any European airline and one of the pilots stepped out to use the lavatory, a flight attendant stepped in. They did not touch the controls. They simply stood or sat in the cockpit until the pilot came back, so that the flight deck was never occupied by a single person. This was the two-person cockpit rule, and it is one of the clearest examples of how a single accident can rewrite airline procedures across a whole continent within days.<\/p><p>It also shows how those procedures get reviewed once the shock has passed. Europe introduced the rule almost overnight after the loss of Germanwings Flight 9525, and later stepped back from making it mandatory. Here is what the rule is, why it exists, why many airlines dropped it, and what replaced it.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"background:#f4f6f9;border:1px solid #e2e7ee;padding:18px 22px;margin:22px 0 26px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:700;color:#0d1117\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:18px\"><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>What it is:<\/strong> At least two crew members, one of them a qualified pilot, in the cockpit at all times<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Trigger:<\/strong> Germanwings Flight 9525, Airbus A320 D-AIPX, 24 March 2015, 150 people killed<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>EASA response:<\/strong> Temporary recommendation issued 27 March 2015<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Revised:<\/strong> EASA Safety Information Bulletin 2016-09, July 2016: risk-based, no longer a blanket recommendation<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Germany:<\/strong> German airlines ended the mandatory rule by 1 June 2017<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>United States:<\/strong> A similar practice was already in place before 2015<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Later EU rules:<\/strong> Adopted 2018: pilot support programmes, psychological assessment, alcohol testing<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why the Cockpit Door Became a Fortress<\/h2><p>The rule only makes sense in the light of what came before it. After the attacks of 11 September 2001, airlines worldwide fitted reinforced, lockable cockpit doors. The aim was simple: nobody in the cabin should be able to force their way onto the flight deck. On the Airbus A320 family the door can be locked from inside, and the design deliberately lets the crew inside refuse entry, so that a hijacker cannot coerce a cabin crew member into opening it.<\/p><p>That design solves one problem extremely well. It also creates a rare but terrible failure mode: if the person who is alone in the cockpit is the threat, the people outside cannot get in.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/airbus-a320-cockpit-door-open-jetblue.jpg\" alt=\"View down the aisle of a JetBlue Airbus A320 through the open cockpit door during boarding\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">The cockpit door of a JetBlue Airbus A320, open during boarding. Photo: Mattes, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 de<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LhwUgCTljgo\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:-12px;font-style:italic\">CNN on how post-9\/11 cockpit doors are designed to stop forced entry.<\/p><h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Germanwings Flight 9525<\/h2><p>On 24 March 2015, Germanwings Flight 9525 was flying from Barcelona to D\u00fcsseldorf with 144 passengers and six crew on board the Airbus A320 D-AIPX. While the captain was out of the cockpit, the co-pilot locked the door and kept him out. The aircraft descended into the French Alps, and all 150 people on board were killed.<\/p><p>The French investigation agency BEA concluded that the co-pilot crashed the aircraft deliberately, and that he had been suffering from a mental illness that had not been reported to his employer or the aviation authorities. It recommended clearer rules on when doctors may share information about a patient who poses a risk to public safety.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/germanwings-a320-d-aipx-barcelona-2014.jpg\" alt=\"Germanwings Airbus A320 D-AIPX taking off from Barcelona in May 2014\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Airbus A320 D-AIPX taking off from Barcelona in May 2014, ten months before the accident. Photo: Sebastien Mortier, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4fJYSv3-yGM\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:-12px;font-style:italic\">Smithsonian Channel on the investigation into Germanwings Flight 9525.<\/p><h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Europe Adopts the Rule in Three Days<\/h2><p>Airlines moved before regulators did. Within a day or two of the first findings, carriers including Lufthansa, easyJet, Norwegian and Air Canada announced that two crew members would be in the cockpit at all times. On 27 March 2015, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued a temporary recommendation that every airline should do the same, with at least two crew, including one qualified pilot, on the flight deck throughout the flight.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;while we are still mourning the victims, all our efforts focus on improving the safety and security of passengers and crews&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Patrick Ky<\/strong> &mdash; Executive Director, EASA, March 2015<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p>In practice, when one pilot left, a cabin crew member entered and stayed until the pilot returned. The cabin crew member was not there to fly. Their job was to be present, and to be able to open the door from inside.<\/p><p>In the United States the idea was not new. A similar practice, in which a flight attendant enters the cockpit when a pilot leaves, was already in force there before 2015, which is why American coverage of the change focused on Europe catching up.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/p_hrHkgBX9Q\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:-12px;font-style:italic\">KHON2 news report from March 2015 on the two-person practice on U.S. flights.<\/p><h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why Europe Stepped Back<\/h2><p>Once the immediate response was over, EASA reviewed the measure. The rule had costs of its own. The cockpit door had to be opened more often, which is exactly what the post-9\/11 doors were designed to avoid, and the extra person on the flight deck also had to be someone the crew could trust.<\/p><p>In July 2016 EASA replaced its blanket recommendation with Safety Information Bulletin 2016-09, which asked each airline to assess its own risks first.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #3568e0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;The SIB recommends that first a risk assessment is performed and then, based on the results of the assessment, the operator may decide to maintain the &ldquo;2-persons-in-the-cockpit&rdquo; procedure as one possible mitigating measure.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>EASA<\/strong> &mdash; Safety Information Bulletin 2016-09, July 2016<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p>German airlines went further. In April 2017 the German Aviation Association, the BDL, announced that its members would end the mandatory rule by 1 June 2017, arguing that opening the door more often created a security risk of its own and that hijackings and criminal attacks were a far more common threat than a pilot acting alone. Airlines elsewhere in Europe made their own decisions, and some kept the procedure.<\/p><h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">What Replaced It: Pilot Mental Fitness<\/h2><p>The longer-lasting changes after Germanwings were about the people in the seats rather than the door. Europe updated its pilot medical requirements in 2016, and in 2018 adopted new operating rules that require European airlines to give pilots access to a support programme, to carry out a psychological assessment before a pilot starts flying for them, and to introduce alcohol testing of flight and cabin crew, with a two-year transition period.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;These new European rules take up the proposals EASA made in its swift follow-up of the Germanwings Flight 9525 accident, in consultation with the wider aviation community.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Patrick Ky<\/strong> &mdash; Executive Director, EASA, July 2018<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p>Peer support programmes, run by fellow pilots, are designed to give a struggling pilot somewhere to turn before a problem becomes a safety issue, without automatically ending their career.<\/p><h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why the Question Is Back in 2026<\/h2><p>The debate over who is in the cockpit returned on 30 September 2026, when flydubai FZ1073 diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia after one pilot attacked the other in flight. Passengers and crew subdued the assailant. The investigation is at an early stage, and we have set out what is established and what is not in our <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/flydubai-fz1073-co-pilot-what-is-known-and-what-is-not\/\">report on the FZ1073 co-pilot<\/a>.<\/p><p>What the episode illustrates is the trade-off at the heart of the two-person rule: a locked cockpit door protects the pilots from the cabin, but it cannot protect a pilot from the person sitting next to them. Every airline policy on cockpit access is an attempt to balance those two risks.<\/p>\n<p><em>Sources: EASA press release, 27 March 2015; EASA Safety Information Bulletin 2016-09, July 2016; EASA news release, 25 July 2018; BEA final report on Germanwings Flight 9525, March 2016; The Local and Associated Press, 28 April 2017; NPR, 27 March 2015; Wikipedia, Germanwings Flight 9525<\/em><\/p>\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\n\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\n\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\n\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\n\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\n\n\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>What is the two-person cockpit rule?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The two-person cockpit rule requires at least two crew members, one of them a qualified pilot, to be in the cockpit at all times. When one pilot leaves, usually for a rest break or the lavatory, a cabin crew member enters and stays until the pilot returns. The extra crew member does not fly the aircraft.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why was the two-person cockpit rule introduced in Europe?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Europe introduced the rule after Germanwings Flight 9525 on 24 March 2015, when the co-pilot locked the captain out of the cockpit and crashed the Airbus A320 into the French Alps, killing all 150 people on board. EASA issued a temporary recommendation on 27 March 2015.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Is the two-person cockpit rule still mandatory in Europe?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">No. In July 2016 EASA replaced its blanket recommendation with Safety Information Bulletin 2016-09, which asks airlines to carry out a risk assessment first. Each airline may keep the two-person procedure as one possible mitigating measure, and some still do.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why did German airlines drop the two-person cockpit rule?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The German Aviation Association announced in April 2017 that its members would end the mandatory rule by 1 June 2017. It argued that opening the cockpit door more often created a security risk, and that hijackings and criminal attacks were a more common threat than a pilot acting alone.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Do US airlines use a two-person cockpit rule?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Yes. A similar practice, in which a flight attendant enters the cockpit when one pilot leaves, was already in force in the United States before the Germanwings accident in 2015. That is why the European change was widely described as catching up with American procedures.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What changed for pilots after Germanwings Flight 9525?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Europe updated pilot medical requirements in 2016 and in 2018 adopted rules requiring airlines to give pilots access to a support programme, to carry out a psychological assessment before a pilot starts flying for them, and to introduce alcohol testing for flight and cabin crew.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the two-person cockpit rule?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The two-person cockpit rule requires at least two crew members, one of them a qualified pilot, to be in the cockpit at all times. When one pilot leaves, usually for a rest break or the lavatory, a cabin crew member enters and stays until the pilot returns. The extra crew member does not fly the aircraft.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why was the two-person cockpit rule introduced in Europe?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Europe introduced the rule after Germanwings Flight 9525 on 24 March 2015, when the co-pilot locked the captain out of the cockpit and crashed the Airbus A320 into the French Alps, killing all 150 people on board. EASA issued a temporary recommendation on 27 March 2015.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Is the two-person cockpit rule still mandatory in Europe?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"No. In July 2016 EASA replaced its blanket recommendation with Safety Information Bulletin 2016-09, which asks airlines to carry out a risk assessment first. Each airline may keep the two-person procedure as one possible mitigating measure, and some still do.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why did German airlines drop the two-person cockpit rule?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The German Aviation Association announced in April 2017 that its members would end the mandatory rule by 1 June 2017. It argued that opening the cockpit door more often created a security risk, and that hijackings and criminal attacks were a more common threat than a pilot acting alone.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Do US airlines use a two-person cockpit rule?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes. A similar practice, in which a flight attendant enters the cockpit when one pilot leaves, was already in force in the United States before the Germanwings accident in 2015. That is why the European change was widely described as catching up with American procedures.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What changed for pilots after Germanwings Flight 9525?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Europe updated pilot medical requirements in 2016 and in 2018 adopted rules requiring airlines to give pilots access to a support programme, to carry out a psychological assessment before a pilot starts flying for them, and to introduce alcohol testing for flight and cabin crew.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/flydubai-fz1073-co-pilot-what-is-known-and-what-is-not\/\">flydubai FZ1073: What Is Known About the Co-Pilot, and What Is Not<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/flydubai-captain-smit-machchhar-account-oman-air-co-pilot-flagged-2026\/\">flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar: &#8220;I Was Fighting for My Life&#8221;<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/squawk-codes-explained-1200-7000-7400-7777\/\">Squawk Codes Explained: 1200, 7000, 7400 and 7777<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why Europe put two crew in the cockpit at all times after Germanwings Flight 9525, why EASA and German airlines stepped back, and what replaced it.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":26493269,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[665],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26494201","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aviation-world"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Two-Person Cockpit Rule Explained: Germanwings, EASA and What Changed | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The two-person cockpit rule explained: why Europe adopted it after Germanwings Flight 9525, why EASA and German airlines stepped back, and what replaced it.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"it_IT\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Two-Person Cockpit Rule Explained: Germanwings, EASA and What Changed | MiGFlug\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The two-person cockpit rule explained: why Europe adopted it after Germanwings Flight 9525, why EASA and German airlines stepped back, and what replaced it.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Afterburner - MiGFlug&#039;s Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-10-04T10:38:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-10-04T10:38:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/airbus-a320-cockpit-two-pilots.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Connor Kerr\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@migflug\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@migflug\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Connor Kerr\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Connor Kerr\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/bc7f2d09b1d7111c45fdb1335b8f2cf9\"},\"headline\":\"Two-Person Cockpit Rule Explained: Germanwings, EASA and What Changed\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-04T10:38:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-04T10:38:29+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1557,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/airbus-a320-cockpit-two-pilots.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Aviation World\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\\\/\",\"name\":\"Two-Person Cockpit Rule Explained: Germanwings, EASA and What Changed | MiGFlug\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/airbus-a320-cockpit-two-pilots.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-04T10:38:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-04T10:38:29+00:00\",\"description\":\"The two-person cockpit rule explained: why Europe adopted it after Germanwings Flight 9525, why EASA and German airlines stepped back, and what replaced it.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/airbus-a320-cockpit-two-pilots.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/airbus-a320-cockpit-two-pilots.jpg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":720,\"caption\":\"Two pilots seated in the cockpit of an SAS Airbus A320 at Stockholm Arlanda\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Startseite\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Two-Person Cockpit Rule Explained: Germanwings, EASA and What Changed\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\",\"name\":\"Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine\",\"description\":\"for those interested in flying military jets and aviation related  topics\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"MiGFlug GmbH\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\\\/cb:0e0_.b970\\\/w:897\\\/h:278\\\/q:mauto\\\/ig:avif\\\/https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\\\/cb:0e0_.b970\\\/w:897\\\/h:278\\\/q:mauto\\\/ig:avif\\\/https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png\",\"width\":897,\"height\":278,\"caption\":\"MiGFlug GmbH\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/MiGFlug\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/migflug\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/migflug\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/MiGFlug\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/migflug.com\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.ch\\\/migflug\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/bc7f2d09b1d7111c45fdb1335b8f2cf9\",\"name\":\"Connor Kerr\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ed6d7365eb237a1c91b800bf8dfeb14b8e30a3712ed7fec9e18a70088fc423a9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ed6d7365eb237a1c91b800bf8dfeb14b8e30a3712ed7fec9e18a70088fc423a9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ed6d7365eb237a1c91b800bf8dfeb14b8e30a3712ed7fec9e18a70088fc423a9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Connor Kerr\"},\"description\":\"Connor Kerr writes MiGFlug\u2019s long-form features \u2014 aviation history, how-it-works explainers and the stories behind the headlines.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/author\\\/connorkerr\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Two-Person Cockpit Rule Explained: Germanwings, EASA and What Changed | MiGFlug","description":"The two-person cockpit rule explained: why Europe adopted it after Germanwings Flight 9525, why EASA and German airlines stepped back, and what replaced it.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\/","og_locale":"it_IT","og_type":"article","og_title":"Two-Person Cockpit Rule Explained: Germanwings, EASA and What Changed | MiGFlug","og_description":"The two-person cockpit rule explained: why Europe adopted it after Germanwings Flight 9525, why EASA and German airlines stepped back, and what replaced it.","og_url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\/","og_site_name":"Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/","article_published_time":"2026-10-04T10:38:03+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-10-04T10:38:29+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":720,"url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/airbus-a320-cockpit-two-pilots.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Connor Kerr","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@migflug","twitter_site":"@migflug","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Connor Kerr","Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\/"},"author":{"name":"Connor Kerr","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/person\/bc7f2d09b1d7111c45fdb1335b8f2cf9"},"headline":"Two-Person Cockpit Rule Explained: Germanwings, EASA and What Changed","datePublished":"2026-10-04T10:38:03+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-04T10:38:29+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\/"},"wordCount":1557,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/airbus-a320-cockpit-two-pilots.jpg","articleSection":["Aviation World"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\/","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\/","name":"Two-Person Cockpit Rule Explained: Germanwings, EASA and What Changed | MiGFlug","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/airbus-a320-cockpit-two-pilots.jpg","datePublished":"2026-10-04T10:38:03+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-04T10:38:29+00:00","description":"The two-person cockpit rule explained: why Europe adopted it after Germanwings Flight 9525, why EASA and German airlines stepped back, and what replaced it.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/airbus-a320-cockpit-two-pilots.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/airbus-a320-cockpit-two-pilots.jpg","width":1280,"height":720,"caption":"Two pilots seated in the cockpit of an SAS Airbus A320 at Stockholm Arlanda"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/two-person-cockpit-rule-explained-germanwings-easa\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Startseite","item":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Two-Person Cockpit Rule Explained: Germanwings, EASA and What Changed"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#website","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/","name":"Afterburner - La rivista di MiGFlug","description":"Per chi \u00e8 interessato a pilotare aerei militari e argomenti correlati all&#039;aviazione.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization","name":"MiGFlug GmbH","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:897\/h:278\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:897\/h:278\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png","width":897,"height":278,"caption":"MiGFlug GmbH"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/","https:\/\/x.com\/migflug","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/migflug\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/MiGFlug","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/migflug.com\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.ch\/migflug\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/person\/bc7f2d09b1d7111c45fdb1335b8f2cf9","name":"Connor Kerr","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ed6d7365eb237a1c91b800bf8dfeb14b8e30a3712ed7fec9e18a70088fc423a9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ed6d7365eb237a1c91b800bf8dfeb14b8e30a3712ed7fec9e18a70088fc423a9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ed6d7365eb237a1c91b800bf8dfeb14b8e30a3712ed7fec9e18a70088fc423a9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Connor Kerr"},"description":"Connor Kerr scrive gli articoli di approfondimento di MiGFlug: storia dell&#039;aviazione, spiegazioni sul funzionamento dei sistemi e le storie che si celano dietro i titoli dei giornali.","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/author\/connorkerr\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26494201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26494201"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26494201\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26494306,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26494201\/revisions\/26494306"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26493269"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26494201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26494201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26494201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}