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A baggage cart passes by a Southwest 737 Max 8 airliner after arriving from Los Angeles at St. Louis-Lambert International Airport on March 13, 2019. Over the Labor Day weekend, Southwest became one of the first U.S. carriers to take delivery and fly a plane with a “secondary barrier” to protect pilots from cockpit intrusions. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

Sept. 1 (UPI) — Southwest Airlines has become one of the first U.S. carriers to take flight with an added barrier to protect pilots from intrusions when they exit the cockpit.

Southwest took delivery of the Boeing 737 Max 8, with the added retractable gate-like feature, and put it into service over the Labor Day weekend. The change comes nearly 24 years after the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

“For Southwest this was the right decision,” the airline said in a statement. “We have a robust safety management system that takes a proactive approach when it comes to enhancing safety wherever possible.”

The additional flight deck barrier is designed to prevent cockpit invasions, like those during the 2001 terror attacks when hijackers took control of four jetliners. The secondary gate is closed to provide added protection for pilots when they open the cockpit door to access the lavatory.

Before the barriers, flight attendants have routinely blocked access to the front of the plane, using themselves or a drink cart, whenever a pilot leaves the flight deck. While existing planes cannot be retrofitted with the barriers, newly delivered planes will come with the barrier installed.

Last week, a 2023 Federal Aviation Administration regulation required Boeing and Airbus to begin delivering its new planes with the secondary barriers.

According to the final rule, the new barrier “will be deployed, closed and locked whenever the flight deck door is opened while the airplane is in flight.”

While Southwest has decided to take immediate delivery of planes with the secondary barriers, other airlines have opted to wait until July 2026 after the FAA granted a one-year exemption.

A SpiceJet captain was forced to take the Boeing 737 back to the terminal during a scheduled flight from Delhi to Mumbai, India, the airline said in a statement

Two unruly passengers caused a seven-hour flight delay after allegedly attempting to get into the cockpit of a plane, it was claimed.

The pair is accused of making their attempt while the aircraft was taxiing for departure on Monday. Cabin crew and passengers pleaded with them to return to their seats, the airline said in a statement.

The captain was forced to take the Boeing 737 back to the terminal, as reported by Luxury Travel Daily. The jet was travelling from Delhi to Mumbai, India.

A video taken inside the cabin has gone viral, with passengers heard complaining about the delay. “You cannot stop a plane like this; this is illegal,” one passenger is heard saying. From the rear of the cabin another passenger says “AC chala de, hum baith jayenge”, which translates as “switch the AC on, we will sit down”, according to India Today.

READ MORE: Inside the eerie UK ‘plane graveyard’ where jumbo jets from around the world are ditched

Several passengers are then heard asking the cabin crew to summon CISF security and remove the disruptive flyers. “Those who don’t want to go, make sure they get down,” says one of the passengers.

The SpiceJet flight, originally scheduled to depart at 12.30pm from Indira Gandhi International Airport, was delayed until 7.21pm, according to data from flight tracking service Flightradar24.com. A spokesperson for the airline said: “Two unruly passengers were offloaded from SpiceJet flight SG 9282 operating from Delhi to Mumbai. The two attempted to forcefully approach the cockpit and caused a disruption while the aircraft was taxiing.

“Despite repeated requests by the cabin crew, fellow passengers, and the Captain, they refused to return to their seats. In the interest of the safety of all passengers and crew, the Captain decided to return the aircraft to the bay, and the passengers were offloaded. They were subsequently handed over to the CISF.”

The airline said the decision to return to the terminal was made in the interest of passenger and crew safety. No injuries were reported.

The issue of passengers delaying plane departures is not new, but it certainly causes airlines a huge amount of grief. Even small disruptions can lead airlines to miss departure slots, pushing back their eventual take-off times significantly. Thanks to the compensation rights of passengers and airport fees, such delays can land plane operators with big bills.

Back in 2023, an Indian man travelling from New York to Delhi allegedly urinated on a co-passenger on an American Airlines flight, NDTV reported. A similar incident had taken place in 2022 when a drunk man allegedly urinated on an elderly woman in the business class of an Air India flight.

A LITTLE-known car brand is preparing to launch an AI-powered luxury saloon to rival the mighty Porsche Taycan.

Chinese EV manufacturer Xpeng has unveiled the latest iteration of its P7 sports saloon that they’ve branded “more than a car”.

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Said to be Xpeng’s answer to “the AI [artificial intelligence] era in form and function”, the company has identified itself as an “AI-driven mobility company”.

Indeed, they’re positioning the new flagship P7 as a showcase for how AI can redefine the luxury car experience.

Details at this stage are scarce, but the previous P7 was described as “the world’s first AI-defined vehicle” and included highly advanced autonomous driving functions, as well as a ‘smart cockpit’ that included a Knight Rider-style voice assistant.

The next-gen model is expected to build on this, as well as introduce even more advanced capabilities.

Their ultimate aim is to stand out in China‘s increasingly crowded luxury saloon market – with the likes of the Avatr 12, Nio ET9 and Luxeed S7 all hoping to be big sellers.

Regarding the upcoming P7’s new styling, Xpeng’s Exterior Design Director Rafik Ferrag told Autocar: “With this new generation, we set out to design a pure-electric sports sedan that could amaze at every angle.

“This car is our dream – refined through countless iterations.

“In my eyes, the all-new Xpeng P7 is a work of art, shaped with emotion and purpose.”

It’s currently unknown if the P7 will be sold outside of China – with more details to follow.

For now, the Porsche Taycan remains the industry leader when it comes to luxury, performance all-electric saloons.

While sales have dipped in recent times, the Taycan remains a highly sought-after electric sports car ahead of the likes of the Lucid Air, Tesla Model S, BMW i4, and Audi e-tron GT.

One other Chinese brand that’s got Porsche in its sights is Denza – headed by motoring giant BYD.

The ever-expanding car brand is one of the largest private companies in China and has already started to make waves globally – including in the UK.

But for those seeking something with more speed and luxury, their sister brand Denza and their first car in its line-up – the stunning Z9 GT – might appeal.

Clearly borrowing design cues from the Taycan and Panamera, the grand tourer – with its shooting brake estate styling – was unveiled at the recent Milan Design Week ahead of its European market release later this year.