Flew the plane into French Alps at 400mph and killed 150 people on board

Airlines are changing procedures to ensure two crew are in the cockpit at all times following the Germanwings tragedy that killed 150 people.

It dramatically emerged today that the co-pilot of the Airbus A320 that crashed into the French Alps locked the pilot out of the cockpit and deliberately crashed the plane.

The final moments of the doomed jet were revealed by French prosecutors who said it was 28-year-old Andreas Lubitz's plan to 'destroy the plane'.

Now budget carrier EasyJet has announced the move will come into force tomorrow - and aviation insiders say there are moves to make it 'mandatory' across airlines.

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Disaster prevention: Budget airlines EasyJet and Norwegian Air Shuttle will introduce new rules to ensure two crew members are in the cockpit at all times in the wake of the Germanwings air disaster

Tragedy: It emerged today that Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz (pictured) locked the plane's pilot out of the cockpit and 'deliberately' crashed the plane into the French Alps, killing 150 people on board

Safety: Now budget carrier EasyJet has announced the new move will come into force tomorrow and aviation insiders say there are moves to make it 'mandatory' across all airlines

Horror: After voice recordings emerged from the doomed A320 revealing how the pilot tried to kick down the cockpit door, EasyJet said a cabin crew member will enter the cockpit if the pilot or co-pilot needs the toilet

The move comes after the Civil Aviation Authority urged airlines to review their policies to avoid the pilot or co-pilot being alone at the controls.

An easyJet spokeswoman said: 'easyJet can confirm that, with effect from Friday 27 March, it will change its procedure which will mean that two crew members will be in the cockpit at all times.

'This decision has been taken in consultation with the Civil Aviation Authority. The safety and security and of its passengers and crew is the airline's highest priority.'

EasyJet said a cabin crew member will temporarily enter the cockpit if the pilot or co-pilot needs the toilet. The airline will not have a third trained pilot on board.

And a spokesman for Virgin Atlantic said: 'We always ensure we have the highest safety standards and, while it is our common practise to have two members of our crew in the flight deck at all times, in light of recent events we are now in the process of formalising this to be policy.'

The change is also being implemented by package tour operator Thomas Cook, whose spokesman said: 'We are adapting our procedures to ensure there will always two people in the cockpit.'

An aviation industry insider said: 'There is some industry chatter about the policy becoming mandatory.'

Budget airlines Ryanair, Monarch and Jet2, which flies from airports in the Midlands, North and Scotland, said they already had policies to ensure two crew are in the cockpit at all times.

Ryanair said it already operates a policy requiring two people in the cockpit 'at all times'.

Its spokeswoman said: 'If a pilot needs to visit the bathroom the cabin crew supervisor is required to stand in the cockpit for these brief periods.'

Risk management: Pilot Europe's third largest budget carrier Norwegian Air Shuttle has also announced the same move for 'safety reasons'

Doomed: The captain of the ill-fated flight - named by local media as German father-of-two Patrick Sonderheimer - left the cockpit but found himself locked out when he tried to re-enter (file photo)

Monarch's spokeswoman added: 'We also have an 'eyes-on' rule requiring cabin crew to enter the cockpit during the cruising stage to check on the pilot and co-pilot.'

A Jet2 spokeswoman said: 'This rule has been in place for a number of years to ensure the safety and security of our customers.'

While a FlyBe spokespman said their Operations Manual 'states that two members of crew are to be present in the cockpit at all times during flight'.

British Airways and BMI Regional declined to comment, while Ryanair were unavailable.

All UK airline pilots undergo extensive and regular medical assessments to determine their fitness to hold a licence Civil Aviation Authority spokesman

Elsewhere around Europe, the continent's third-largest budget carrier, Norwegian Air Shuttle, said it would require two people in the cockpit at all times for safety reasons.

A Civil Aviation Authority spokesman said: 'Following the details that have emerged regarding the tragic Germanwings incident, we are co-ordinating closely with colleagues at the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and have contacted all UK operators to require them to review all relevant procedures.

'All UK airline pilots undergo extensive and regular medical assessments to determine their fitness to hold a licence.

As part of this, aeromedical examiners are required to assess a commercial pilot's mental health at each medical examination which, for an airline pilot flying with at least one other pilot, is undertaken annually.

'These detailed medical assessments are in line with international aviation standards.

'We will continue to monitor the situation as the investigation develops and our thoughts remain with the friends and relatives of all those affected by this tragic incident.'

His parents only discovered that their son was a mass murderer minutes before the dramatic press conference by prosecutors in Marseille.

'Deliberate': Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin said Lubitz used the flight managing system to put the plane into a descent, something that can only be done manually

Heart-broken: Family of the victims of the crash gathered near the scene in Le Vernet near the French Alps today, as rescuers tried to recover the dead bodies of their deceased relatives

Rescue: Helicopters lowered investigators down to the scene of the obliterated plane where debris and human remains were scattered

Safety procedure: Budget airlines Ryanair, Monarch and Jet said they already had policies to ensure two crew are in the cockpit at all times

'When one person leaves the cockpit, two people will now have to be there,' Norwegian's flight operations director Thomas Hesthammer said.

Long haul flights usually have more than two crew capable of flying the plane because shift changes are often required in flight.

A spokeswoman for German carrier Lufthansa, parent company of Germanwings, said: 'A crew member may temporarily leave the cockpit during a specific phase of the flight.

'So far, no decision has been taken to change the procedure as it is already approved by the German office of federal aviation but we will look into it. So far, we trust our procedure.

It also transpired today that the Germanwings co-pilot who flew the plane into the Alps at 400mph had to stop his training because he was suffering from depression and 'burnout'.

Mr Lubitz - whose family were at the scene of the crash in Seyne today - postponed his pilot training in 2008 due to mental health issues and a friend said he was 'in depression'.

Airline bosses confirmed Lubitz had taken several months off work and had to retrain to join the firm but insisted he was '100% fit to fly'.

Raid: German police have investigated Andreas Lubitz's €500,000 family home in Montabaur in Germany as well as his apartment in Dusseldorf

Killer's home: A French prosecutor in Marseille said Mr Lubitz's breathing was normal as the plane descended rapidly before crashing into the French Alps

German police have since raided Lubitz's €500,000 family home in Montabaur in Germany as well as his apartment in Dusseldorf.

At an extraordinary press conference earlier, Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin gave a disturbing account of the cockpit voice recordings extracted from black box.

He said Lubitz locked his captain out after the senior officer left the flight deck. At that point, Lubitz used the flight managing system to put the plane into a descent, something that can only be done manually - and deliberately.

He said: 'The intention was to destroy the plane. Death was instant. The plane hit the mountain at 700kmh (430mph).

'I don't think that the passengers realised what was happening until the last moments because on the recording you only hear the screams in the final seconds'.

Earlier in the flight, Mr Robin said Lubitz's responses were initially courteous, but became 'curt' when the captain began the mid-flight briefing on the planned landing of the plane.

The captain - named by local media as German father-of-two Patrick Sonderheimer - then left the cockpit but found himself locked out when he tried to re-enter.

Mr Robin said: 'We hear the pilot asking the co-pilot to take over and we hear the sound of a chair being pushed back and a door closing so we assume that the captain went to the toilet or something.

'So the co-pilot is on his own, and it is while he's on his own that the co-pilot is in charge of the plane and uses the flight management system to start the descent of the plane.