United Airlines Woes: Cockpit-Door Codes Changing; Accidentally Placed On Public Website

CHICAGO, IL – United Airlines is changing its key codes to cock-pit doors, after a flight attendant inadvertently publicly leaked them over the weekend, according to media reports. In a statement Monday, the Chicago-based airline said it uses "a number of measures" in addition to the access codes to keep cockpits secure, and it was working to fix the situation as soon as possible.

The airline sent a memo to pilots over the weekend telling them to use “alternative security measures,” a spokeswoman said, according to the Associated Press. The spokeswoman told the AP, the breach was not the result of hacking and didn't cause any delays or cancellations. (For the latest Chicago news and alerts, please subscribe by clicking here.)

Pilots were told that “the risk of a breach of the flight deck door is strongly mitigated by carefully following the flight deck security procedures.” United was not able to provide any additional information to Patch.

Cockpit security was strengthened after the 9/11 terror attacks, during which hijackers took over control of United and American Airlines aircraft. The Air Line Pilots Association has lobbied Congress for legislation to require U.S. airliners to have secondary barriers, according to The Washington Times. United periodically changes codes, but started the current process after it learned of the leak.

In a statement to Business Insider, United said it used multiple methods, including access codes, to ensure security. "We have learned that some cockpit door access information may have been made public," the company said in the statement. "The safety of our customers and crew is our top priority and United utilizes a number of measures to keep our flight decks secure beyond door access information.

"In the interim, this protocol ensures our cockpits remain secure. We are working to resolve this issue as soon as possible," the statement said.

Other safety procedures include visually verifying the identity of someone seeking to gain access to the flight deck, which also requires a code, according to the Miami Herald.. Even if the right code is entered, pilots have the ability to override the system and prevent someone from entering the cockpit, the Miami Herald said.

The access code incident was the latest to problem facing the airline, which first came under attack when cellphone video showed a passenger being violently dragged off a flight.

Photo Credit: Seth Wenig/Associated Press