Brazil aviation agency recommends two in cockpit rule

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil's aviation regulator ANAC recommended local airlines require at least two people, including a pilot, to be in the cockpit at all times in the wake of last week's Germanwings crash. ANAC said in a statement on Tuesday its recommendation followed other agencies around the world after a preliminary investigation of the March 24 crash of flight 9525. French prosecutors said the flight's 28-year-old co-pilot locked himself in the cockpit and flew the plane into a mountain in the French Alps, killing all 150 on board. Airlines rushed to react last week, with EasyJet, Norwegian Air Shuttle and Air Berlin requiring a second crew member in the cockpit at all times. It was already compulsory in the United States, but not in Europe. Australia, Canada and New Zealand have since introduced similar mandatory rules. ANAC may revise its recommendations in light of any new information about the Germanwings accident, the agency said. Brazil's largest airline carriers are Gol Linhas Aereas SA, the Brazilian unit of Chile's Latam Airlines Group SA Tam, and Azul, which is controlled by JetBlue Airways Corp founder David Neeleman. The country is preparing for another influx of international visitors for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games after hosting the soccer World Cup last year. (Reporting by Caroline Stauffer; Editing by Alan Crosby)