When developing the flight deck for the 767 and the 767 in the 1970s, Boeing believed that the long-term viability of the 757 and 767 would require a two-person flight deck, at least as an option, that would allow airlines a savings on weight and operating costs. By the end of 1978 three different flight-deck configurations were being planned for the widebody 767. In the spring of 1981, a U.S. presidential task force was commissioned to determine the safety of two-crew operations for large widebody aircraft. After several months of hearings and extensive human-factors and safety data analyses, the task force concluded in July 1981 that two-crew operations could be conducted safely, and the two-person flight deck became the standard.