Britannia Chooses FlightVu Cockpit Door Monitoring System
Britannia Airways, the UK’s largest charter airline and part of TUI AG, has chosen FlightVu video security for cockpit door monitoring across its fleet of 19 B-757s and 13 B-767s.
AD Aerospace of Manchester UK, and AEI of Orlando USA are providing the video security system and installation design respectively. The system enables the flight crew to monitor the area outside the flight deck door and adjacent galleys without leaving their seats. The pilots can visually identify anyone requesting entry and to take appropriate action should an incident arise.
“Britannia Airways selected the FlightVu cockpit door monitoring system to enhance the safety and security of our passengers and crew,” said Captain Colin Sharples, Director of Flight Safety, Quality and Environment at Britannia Airways. “Our passengers’ safety has always been the first priority for us and this adds a further layer to the processes we already have in place.”
Security measures have been increased throughout the airline industry. This in response to the heightened awareness of risks from terrorism and air rage over the last few years. The introduction of intrusion resistant cockpit doors has made the pilots, and the aircraft, safer but has isolated them, leaving them unaware of what is happening in the cabin. This is where Close Circuit Television (CCTV) comes into use.
The FlightVu cockpit door monitoring system consists of three CCTV cameras linked to a LCD monitor or monitors mounted in the cockpit pedestal in clear view of both pilot positions. The system also includes Infra Red illuminators that allow the area to be viewed even with the cabin lights extinguished.
“FlightVu, and other cockpit door monitoring systems, which allow the flight crew to observe the area outside of the flight deck are a major step forward in passenger airliner safety,” said Mike Horne, Managing Director, AD Aerospace. “We believe that the existence of secure flight deck doors and efficient CCTV surveillance will act together to reduce the occurrence of major incidents.”
FlightVu cockpit door monitoring systems have been or are being installed on aircraft for Britannia, easyJet, GB Airways, MyTravel and bmi.
AD Aerospace Ltd., designs and manufactures aerospace video camera equipment, including state-of-the-art video security systems. The company, part of the AD Holdings Group, is a CAA/JAA approved designer and manufacturer of video camera systems for commercial aerospace, and an approved supplier to the Boeing Company. AD Aerospace has facilities in Manchester UK and Atlanta USA.
Aircraft Engineering & Installation Services Inc. (AEI) is an Orlando, Florida based avionics integrator serving the Air Transport, Regional Airline, and Heavy Corporate Jet markets. AEI engineers incorporate new avionics systems into existing aircraft architecture and facilitate system certification. They then design and manufacture the custom Avionics System Integration Kits required to install and activate the new equipment. AEI’s engineering, comprehensive system integration kits, and technical support provide its customers with the most trouble-free avionics installations possible.
