EASA Moves To Toughen Pilot Screening

August 16, 2016

European aviation safety agency EASA has published proposals for a rules update on pilots' medical fitness including mental health assessments.

The European Aviation Safety Agency's proposals to the EU's European Commission address safety recommendations made after Germanwings flight 9525 crashed into the Alps in March 2015, killing all 150 onboard.

The proposals will serve as the basis for a legislative proposal by the European Commission towards the end of 2016, EASA said in a statement.

The new requirements, if adopted, will strengthen initial and recurring medical examination of pilots, including drugs and alcohol screening and a comprehensive mental health assessment.

France's BEA air crash investigation agency found that Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz locked the captain out of the cockpit and steered flight 9525 into a remote mountainside.

(Airwise)