Jumpseat policy-a change?
 

Extract from Air Intelligence, lets hope this is a positive sign for the UK too.

TSA gives green light to cockpit jumpseat test plan
Mary Kirby, Washington DC (01Aug03, 15:03 GMT, 231 words)
US airline pilots and other authorized personnel may soon be able to use offline cockpit jumpseats again following a ban since the 11 September terrorist attacks.
In a letter to the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) union, US Transportation Security Administration administrator James Loy confirms that the TSA, US FAA and Air Transport Association (ATA) are preparing to move forward with a six-month test program to determine whether use of offline jumpseats should be made permanent.
In the aftermath of 11 September 2001, the US government banned pilots from occupying jumpseats when not traveling on their own airline's aircraft, or those of their codeshare partners.
Since then, a committee spearheaded by ALPA in conjunction with the ATA and FAA, has developed a proposal for US airlines to use a shared computer database system to identify a jumpseat applicant and verify his or her employment with a carrier.
Under the test program, use of the jumpseat would be permitted for ATA airline employees, air traffic controllers and other FAA employees, plus Department of Defense couriers.
The test program is a way of "just getting back to where we were" before 11 September, says ALPA vice president and jumpseat coalition leader Dennis Dolan.
Loy says the TSA, ATA and FAA are working to outline the framework for the pilot program, participants, responsibilities, performance metrics and timetable. He expects final approval by 10 August.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news

In the UK we can't even use the jumpseats on our own airline if we are off duty so any change in the rules would be welcome. Blair and the UK government were very keen to follow the American lead when things got tightened up, I wonder if they will be as willing to relax things once the US changes. I won't be holding my breath.

I hear from a pretty reliable source (a BA captain), that UK ATCOS can now travel on the jumpseat on BA flights so long as it has been arranged in advance (ie. with BA OPS a few weeks before flying).

Can anyone confirm this?

The only problem with this 6-month test is that ONLY pilots from ATA-member carriers can access cockpit jumpseats. All other airline pilots in the US must sit in cabin seats, or remain status-qou until test is successfully complete.

I'm sure European carriers will allow cockpit j/s access once again, when safeguards and employee verification systems are put in place.

I wish I shared your optimism...our company has tightened to the point where flight crew positioning are not permitted on the jump seat of our own company's aircraft, even if personally known to the crew, carrying ID, the works... even if they are still on duty!

The world has gone mad!

Look around next time you fly for the weakest link in the security chain.

Perhaps a jump-seat occupant could be a deterrent?

MP:confused:

The bit of security I think is particularly effective, is when they draw the curtain across the galley area, prior to serving the flight deck breakfast.

Perhaps they should put a big sign on the curtain saying"Flight Deck Access available for the next 3 minutes"