The regulation stipulates that the attendant should enter the cockpit even when the pilot or co-pilot just goes to the galley or bathroom for a few minutes. Local news sources say inspectors will be checking that the rule is obeyed.
The ruling will apply to craft operated by flag-carrier Vietnam Airlines as well as budget airlines Jetstar and VietJet Air. The source did not say whether the same two-in-the-cockpit regulation would apply to other carriers, such as Thai AirAsia, flying to Vietnamese airports.
The CAA has also instructed airlines to ensure professionals run frequent checks on the mental health of pilots and cabin staff. The CAA of Vietnam is following similar bodies around the world in instructing airlines to adopt the two-in-the-cockpit policy.
The instruction comes in the wake of a tragic aeroplane crash in Europe last week in which 150 people died. The co-pilot of a Germanwings flight from Barcelona to Dusseldorf is believed to have locked the pilot out of the cockpit and then deliberately flown the aircraft into a French Alp.
Vietnam aviation bureau orders two in cockpits
News in Asia
Vietnam’s aviation bureau has issued an order stating all aircraft operated by domestic carriers need to have two flight crew in the cockpit. The edict from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) mandates that the chief cabin attendant needs to be in the cockpit if one of the pilots steps out when an aircraft is airborne.