Australia imposes cockpit "rule of two" after Germanwings crash

... the mandatory "rule of two", which means flight attendants must stand in whenever pilot or co-pilot leaves the cockpit would be effective immediately...

Sydney (ANTARA News) - the Australian goverment impose a requirement on Monday that its airlines hav two crew members at cockpit all the times as a safety precaution following Germanwings crash that killed 150 passangers and crew last week.

Australian Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said the mandatory "rule of two", which means flight attendants must stand in whenever pilot or co-pilot leaves the cockpit would be effective immediately.

The rule will apply to all domestic and international flights

by Australian operators carrying 50 or more passengers.

The carriers include Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Tigerair Australia.

"The airlines will be acting imediately to implement the change andwe expect tto see the policy in place whitin hours on our major airlines," Truss told reporters in Melbourne.

US airlines had the rule in place before Germanwings crash, in which investigators believe the co-pilot lock out the captain when he visited the toilet and deliberately steered the plane into the French Alps.

Regulators in Canada and New Zaeland introduced the rule whitin 24 hours of the Germanwings crash and the European aviation authority has also recomended the change.

Truss consulted with the airlines to ensure the change would not open up to other potential safety concerns. He said that goverment and aviation regulators, the Civic Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), were considering other changes to improve cockpit security.

Mental illness is believed to have played a part in the Germanwings crash.

German authoritties said they found torn-up sick notes showing that co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, 27 was suffering from illness that should have grounded him on the day of the crash.

Australian pilots are subject to annual medical reviews including psychiatric assesment.

"There is a need to balance the fact that people with proper tratment can recover from mental illness and be able to undertake normal careers with critical priority of ensuring that aircraft always safe," Truss said.