In coordination with the German Federal Aviation Office, other German airlines and the German aviation industry association (Bundesverband der deutschen Luftverkehrswirtschaft), the airlines of the Lufthansa Group are to adopt a new cockpit occupancy procedure as a precautionary measure.

Under the new procedure, two authorised persons must be present in the cockpit at all times during a flight.

The decision follows the loss of an aircraft operated by Lufthansa subsidiary Germanwings in the south of France last week.

Flight 4U 9525 came down with the loss of 150 lives in the French Alps apparently after co-pilot Andreas Lubitz took control of the aircraft while alone in the cockpit.

The passenger airlines of the Lufthansa Group will adopt the new procedure as soon as possible, in due consultation with their national aviation authority. 
Lufthansa Group is also expanding its safety structures.

In addition to the safety pilots at each of its member airlines, the new position of group safety pilot has been created until further notice.

The new post will be assumed with immediate effect by captain Werner Maas, who will hold it in parallel with his current function as safety pilot of Deutsche Lufthansa.

Captain Maas will have overarching group-wide responsibility for examining and further refining all flight safety-relevant procedures in his new capacity, in which he reports directly to group chief executive Carsten Spohr.