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While news of an attempted intentional plane crash by an airline staff member is alarming, the truth is that, since 1950 only 24 instances of passengers or crewmembers successfully doing this have occurred — including 9/11 — and most of them involved small planes killing just the pilot. Due to these tragedies, mandates such as having two pilots on board and narrowing access to the cockpit have been implemented, which is why the US aviation industry is the safest in the world.
Despite the current shortage of pilots, and although the industry is still incredibly safe, there's a reason for the strict requirements to become certified to fly commercial planes. Even under the current rules, some pilots end up becoming hazards, which is why calls for lowering requirements should be put to rest. Lowering the mandated training flight hours and raising the retirement age may help boost hiring, but it won't make passengers any safer. The bar for licensing pilots must be set higher.