German air traffic control officials today called for technology that ground staff could use in an emergency to take remote command of a plane . Klaus-Dieter Scheurle , head of the Deutsche Flugsicherung authority , urged the aviation industry to develop the system which could help prevent a repeat of the Germanwings crash last month . Investigators believe co-pilot Andreas Lubitz locked his captain out of the cockpit and deliberately crashed the plane into a French mountainside on March 24 , killing all 150 people on board . Disaster : Rescue workers and debris from the Germanwings jet at the crash site near Seyne-les-Alpes , France . Call : Klaus-Dieter Scheurle ( above ) , head of the Deutsche Flugsicherung authority , urged the aviation industry to develop the system which could help prevent a repeat of the Germanwings crash last month . Mr Scheurle said in Frankfurt : ‘ Such an event might cause us to reconsider systems which would allow the control of aircraft to be taken over by personnel on the ground in emergency situations. ’ He added that it was important to ‘ think past today 's technology ’ , explaining that such a system could be used in an emergency on the ground to take remote control of a plane and safely land it . Mr Scheurle said that it was not the ‘ simplest solution ’ , adding that similar technology is already available for piloting drones - but it could take a decade to develop it for passenger jets . Pilots associations are sceptical of the plans , with German pilots ' union Vereinigung Cockpit saying the idea of remote control from the ground could be open to abuse . In charge : Investigators believe co-pilot Andreas Lubitz ( pictured ) locked his captain out of the cockpit and deliberately flew the plane into a French mountainside on March 24 , killing all 150 people on board . Tribute : Flowers in front of the monument in homage to the victims of the Germanwings flight in Le Vernet . A spokesman said : ‘ We also have to ask whether such a solution would really be an improvement . After all , it 's the pilots who are sitting in the cockpit and they 're the ones with all the information. ’ The British Airline Pilots ' Association also urged caution . ‘ We must act with careful consideration to ensure new safety risks or concerns are not created , such as those raised by the vulnerability of any form of remote control of a passenger aircraft , ’ a spokesman said . Since the Germanwings crash , European airlines have implemented a rule that two people must be in the cockpit at all times and Germany has set up a task force with the aviation industry to consider changes to medical and psychological tests for pilots . Commercial planes could be hacked in flight by passengers using the in-flight entertainment system to access flight controls , a US watchdog agency warned last night . Cyber-security experts said onboard firewalls intended to protect aircraft electronics from hackers could be breached if flight control and entertainment systems use the same wiring and routers . A 'virus or malware ’ planted on websites visited by passengers could provide an opportunity for a malicious attack , one expert told Government Accountability Office investigators . A GAO report identified the hacking risk as one of several emerging weaknesses that the Federal Aviation Administration must address as air traffic control systems advance in technology . The publication said : ‘ Internet connectivity in the cabin should be considered a direct link between the aircraft and the outside world , which includes potential malicious actors. ’ FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said the aviation regulator has begun working with US government security experts including the National Security Agency to identify needed changes . ‘ This threat will continue to evolve and it is something that needs to be at the forefront of our thinking , ’ he told a Senate oversight panel . Politicians in Congress called on the FAA to act .
Deutsche Flugsicherung allows aviation enthusiasts to develop this system . Similar technology is already available for piloting aircraft , but not planes . Co - pilot deliberately crashed jet last month in Alps killing all passengers on board . Separate report says passengers could hack planes using in - flight TVs .