AD Aerospace and AEI to Supply FlightVu CDMS
BWIA West Indies Airways, the premier airline of the Caribbean, has selected FlightVu Cockpit Door Monitoring Systems (CDMS) to enhance security on its fleet of seven Boeing B737-800 aircraft. BWIA has decided not to wait for forthcoming regulation and to act now to improve the safety and security for its passengers and crew.
AD Aerospace of Manchester, UK and Aircraft Engineering & Installation Services, Inc. (AEI) of Orlando, Florida, USA, are providing the video security system and installation design respectively. The system is being fitted in Atlanta, Georgia which is where AD Aerospace has its US base. The FlightVu CDMS system enables the flight crew to view the area outside the flight deck door, including the adjacent galleys, from their usual seated positions. The pilots can visually identify anyone requesting entry and take appropriate action should an incident arise.
“Passenger safety and security are top priorities at BWIA,” said Manager Corporate Communications, Dionne Ligoure of BWIA West Indies Airways. “We believe that FlightVu CDMS will further improve the systems and procedures we already have in place, giving our pilots a clear view of activity outside the cockpit door.”
Security measures are being progressively improved and increased throughout the airline industry in recognition of the potential risks arising from terrorism and air rage. Although intrusion resistant cockpit doors have made pilots and the airlines safer, it has also isolated pilots leaving them unaware of what is happening in the cabin. This is where Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) comes into use.
“We are extremely pleased to provide FlightVu CDMS to BWIA as our first of many customers in the Caribbean,” said Mike Horne, Managing Director, AD Aerospace. “By taking this step they have demonstrated that they are a progressive airline. Both the FAA and EASA are said to be bringing forth regulation to improve security at the cockpit doors but as yet have failed to do so. This leaves it to forward looking airlines like BWIA to take the initiative in protecting their passengers and crew.”
The FlightVu CDMS consists of two or three CCTV cameras linked to a LCD monitor or monitors strategically mounted in the cockpit pedestal. The system provides the flight deck crew with clear, forward viewing, real-time video of the area outside the cockpit door. The CCTV cameras are flush mounted, in low-profile color coordinated housings, to the aircraft interior outside the secure cabin door and in the galley area. Infra Red Illuminators are included to allow the area to be viewed even with the cabin lights extinguished.
FlightVu cockpit door monitoring systems have been or are being installed on aircraft for, Air Seychelles, bmi, Britannia, BWIA, Corsair, easyJet, FlyJet, Germania, Hapag Lloyd, Britannia Nordic and MyTravel, amongst others.
