South Korea tightens cockpit rules after Alps crash

South Korean airplanes will have two crew members in their cockpit after a German plane crashed in the French Alps last week, officials in Seoul said Wednesday.

The Transport Ministry said it revised an aviation security-related rule so that two people must be present in the cockpit at all times.

If one of the pilots were to temporarily leave the cockpit, a flight attendant must take their place for the interim period, according to officials.

Five out of seven major South Korean airliners have expressed their willingness to follow the new rule.

Jin Air and Eastar Jet have already implemented the revised rules starting Monday. Asiana Airlines and Air Busan also plan to follow suit by early April.

Korean Air and Jeju Air said they already operate the policy of having two people in the cockpit at all times.

Several foreign countries, including Australia, Canada and Mexico, have adopted similar measures after the plane crash, which killed 150 people.

Analysis of the Germanwings crash suggested that a copilot had locked the pilot out of the cockpit and crashed the plane.