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©Los Angeles Times
© St. Petersburg Times, published September 19, 2001
WASHINGTON -- Replacing flimsy airline cockpit doors with sturdier models capable of thwarting hijackers has emerged as a top priority of an emergency advisory panel to Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, according to government and industry officials.
The Federal Aviation Administration has begun soliciting plans for a "secure cockpit" from design companies. But unless the FAA is ready to mandate stiffer doors, the industry may balk at the cost, which one executive estimated at $50,000 per aircraft.