SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 16, 2001--Alaska Airlines said today it is installing reinforced cockpit doors on all its aircraft to make them impenetrable and bulletproof.

The first cockpit door modification on an Alaska jet, a Boeing 737-400, is being completed today.

Alaska, the nation's ninth largest major carrier, is collaborating with Raisbeck Engineering, Inc., of Seattle, Wash. on the door modifications.

"Nothing is more important than the security and safety of our crews and customers," said Bill Ayer, Alaska's president and chief operating officer. "Ever since an incident involving Alaska Airlines almost two years ago, our focus has been on finding a cockpit door that assures security against unauthorized entry to the flight deck. The events of September 11 hastened that resolve and now we are convinced Raisbeck Engineering has found an excellent solution."

Alaska's fleet consists of 102 aircraft, including 70 Boeing 737 aircraft and 32 Boeing MD-80s. Modifications to Alaska's entire Boeing 737 fleet is expected by November 15, with modifications to the carrier's MD-80 fleet to follow afterwards.

The project's initial phase, valued at more than $1.2 million, is the first of its type by a major U.S. carrier. Costs incurred for the project are eligible for reimbursement under federal guidelines.

Raisbeck Engineering, located only a few miles from Alaska's corporate headquarters, has been working on technical answers and applications to the issue of cockpit security for well over a year. "As it turns out, the recent attack on our country brought Raisbeck and Alaska together on this issue," said Ayer. "We couldn't have a better partner."

The super-strengthened doors on Alaska's cockpits will feature an array of advanced technical innovations and applications that restrict entry and fully meet all federal safety certification guidelines.

Utilizing the design specifications of Raisbeck engineers, the existing doors on Alaska jets, designed by Boeing, are being modified by the airline's maintenance technicians to include the following features:

• Panels of Kevlar fabric on the cockpit side of the door. Kevlar, a high tech composite, combines extraordinary strength and low weight to provide toughness five times stronger than steel for protection against ballistics.

• "Kickproof" grilles on the cabin side of the cockpit door that can withstand a minimum of 1500 pounds of force.

• A secure and sturdy locking mechanism that can be locked and unlocked by the pilots from the seated position.

• One and one-quarter inch thick acrylic windows that are bulletproof yet clear to allow pilots to see into the cabin from either a seated or standing position.

• Specialized hardware that includes a new door handle designed to make it much more difficult for anyone to grip in order to gain leverage.

"Nothing in my 40 years as an aeronautical engineer has been more satisfying than designing a way to contribute to the security and safety of commercial aviation through these cockpit door modifications," said James Raisbeck, chairman of Raisbeck Engineering and its subsidiary corporation, Raisbeck Commercial Air Group, Inc. "Our team may have had more technically complicated projects in the past, but I can't think of one more important." In addition to Boeing jets, Raisbeck said his firm has a modification for the cockpit doors of Airbus jet aircraft.

Raisbeck Engineering, founded nearly 30 years ago, has designed myriad technical refinements for various aircraft ranging from turboprops to large commercial jets. The firm's areas of expertise include engine performance enhancement, noise abatement, safety modifications and customer amenity improvements. For more information, visit http://www.raisbeck.com.

Alaska Airlines serves 44 cities in Alaska, the Lower 48, Canada and Mexico. For more news and information visit the Alaska Airlines Newsroom on the Internet at http://newsroom.alaskaair.com. Reservations can be made at www.alaskaair.com.

VIDEO AVAILABLE

Video of a cockpit security door demonstration with large caliber handguns and a baseball bat along with sound bites from Alaska Airlines and Raisbeck executives will be available by satellite at the time shown below.

Start time:                12:00-12:15pm Pacific / 3:00-3:15pm Eastern
Satellite:                 Galaxy 11
Transponder:               8 C-Band Analog
Downlink Frequency:        3860 Vertical
Audio:                     6.2/6.8
Technical Trouble line:    206/404-4172

The feed can be found on: Galaxy 11, which is located at 91degrees West Longitude. Transponder 8 C-Band Analog. Downlink Frequency is 3860 Vertical. The Audio Sub-carriers are at 6.2/6.8. For technical trouble please call: 206/404-4172.

STILL PHOTOS

High resolution still photos of the cockpit security door demonstration are available by e-mail from Don Conrard in the Alaska Airlines corporate communications department. Phone 206/431-7057. E-mail don.conrard@alaskaair.com.

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